EDGAR 10-K Filing

Company CIK: 1415404
Filing Year: 2025
Filename: 1415404_10-K_2025_0001558370-25-001663.json

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ITEM 1. BUSINESS
Item 1.BUSINESS
OVERVIEW
EchoStar Corporation is a holding company that was organized in October 2007 as a corporation under the laws of the State of Nevada. EchoStar Corporation together with its subsidiaries are referred to as “EchoStar,” the “Company,” “we,” “us” and/or “our,” unless otherwise required by the context. Our Class A common stock is publicly traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market (“NASDAQ”) under the symbol “SATS.” Our principal executive offices are located at 9601 South Meridian Boulevard, Englewood, Colorado 80112 and our telephone number is (303) 723- 1000.
Merger with DISH Network
On December 31, 2023, we completed the acquisition of DISH Network pursuant to the Amended and Restated Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of October 2, 2023 (the “Amended Merger Agreement”), by and among us, EAV Corp., a Nevada corporation and our wholly owned subsidiary (“Merger Sub”), and DISH Network, pursuant to which we acquired DISH Network by means of the merger of Merger Sub with and into DISH Network (the “Merger”), with DISH Network surviving the Merger as our wholly owned subsidiary. For further information, refer to the Consolidated Financial Statements and notes thereto included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023.
Recent Developments
DIRECTV Transaction
On September 29, 2024, we and DIRECTV Holdings, LLC (“DTV”), entered into an Equity Purchase Agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”). Pursuant to the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Purchase Agreement, DTV agreed to acquire from us all of the issued and outstanding equity interests of DISH DBS Corporation (“DISH DBS”), which operates our Pay-TV business.
Following written notice from DTV received on November 20, 2024, DTV terminated the Purchase Agreement effective at 11:59 pm ET on November 22, 2024 pursuant to Section 7.01(a)(iv) of the Purchase Agreement because the DISH DBS Exchange Offers (as defined in Note 10 in the Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K) were not consummated by the Exchange Offer Settlement Date (as defined in the Purchase Agreement). No termination fee or other payment was due from either party to the other as a result of the termination of the Purchase Agreement.
Segments
EchoStar Corporation is a holding company. Its subsidiaries currently operate three primary business segments: (1) Pay-TV; (2) Wireless; and (3) Broadband and Satellite Services. Historically, we reported four primary business segments: (1) Pay-TV; (2) Retail Wireless; (3) 5G Network Deployment; and (4) Broadband and Satellite Services. See Note 16 in the Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further information.
Pay-TV
We offer pay-TV services under the DISH® brand and the SLING® brand (collectively “Pay-TV” services). The DISH branded pay-TV service consists of, among other things, FCC licenses authorizing us to use direct broadcast satellite (“DBS”) and Fixed Satellite Service (“FSS”) spectrum, our owned and leased satellites, receiver systems, broadcast operations, a leased fiber optic network, in-home service and call center operations and certain other assets utilized in our operations (“DISH TV”).
We also design, develop and distribute receiver systems and provide digital broadcast operations, including satellite uplinking/downlinking, transmission and other services to third-party pay-TV providers. The SLING branded pay-TV services consist of, among other things, multichannel, live-linear and on-demand streaming over-the-top (“OTT”) Internet-based domestic, international, Latino and Freestream video programming services (“SLING TV”). As of December 31, 2024, we had 7.778 million Pay-TV subscribers in the United States, including 5.686 million DISH TV subscribers and 2.092 million SLING TV subscribers.
Wireless
Our Wireless segment provides wireless communication services (“Wireless” services) and products. We currently offer our Wireless services for 5G voice over new radio (“VoNR”) to over 220 million Americans and for 5G broadband service to over 268 million Americans, as well as a competitive portfolio of wireless devices.
We offer nationwide Wireless services to subscribers primarily under our Boost Mobile® and Gen Mobile® brands. Prepaid Wireless subscribers generally pay in advance for monthly access to wireless talk, text and data services. Postpaid Wireless subscribers are qualified to pay after receiving wireless talk, text and data services, and may also qualify for certain device financing arrangements.
We are currently operating primarily as a mobile virtual network operator (“MVNO”) as we continue our 5G Network Deployment and commercialize and grow customer traffic on our 5G Network. We are transitioning to a mobile network operator (“MNO”) as our 5G Network, defined below, has become commercially available and we grow customer traffic on our 5G Network. We are currently activating Boost Mobile subscribers with compatible devices onto our 5G Network in markets where we have reached VoNR. We currently offer a broad range of premium wireless devices on our 5G Network, including the Apple iPhone 15 and newer generation iPhones. We have deployed 5G VoNR covering over 220 million Americans. Within our MVNO operations, today we depend in part on T-Mobile and AT&T to provide us with network services under the amended Master Network Services Agreement (“MNSA”) and Network Services Agreement (the “NSA”), respectively. As of December 31, 2024, we had 6.995 million Wireless subscribers.
We have invested a total of over $30 billion in Wireless spectrum licenses. The $30 billion of investments related to Wireless spectrum licenses does not include $10 billion of capitalized interest related to the carrying value of such licenses. See Note 2 and Note 15 in the Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further information. We continue to commercialize our Wireless spectrum licenses through the completion of the nation’s first cloud-native, Open Radio Access Network (“O-RAN”) based 5G network (our “5G Network Deployment”). We have committed to the FCC to deploy a facilities-based 5G broadband network (our “5G Network”) capable of serving increasingly larger portions of the U.S. population at different deadlines.
Our Wireless spectrum licenses are subject to certain interim and final build-out requirements, as well as certain renewal requirements. On September 29, 2023, the FCC confirmed we met all of our June 14, 2023 band-specific 5G deployment commitments, and two of our three nationwide 5G commitments. The single remaining 5G commitment, that at least 70% of the U.S. population has access to average download speeds equal to 35 Mbps, was achieved in March 2024 using the drive test methodology previously agreed upon by us and the FCC and overseen by an independent monitor. We currently have the largest commercial deployment of 5G VoNR in the world covering over 220 million Americans and 5G broadband service covering over 268 million Americans.
In September 2024, the FCC conditionally granted our requests to extend the 5G deployment deadlines for certain of our Wireless spectrum licenses based on several commitments and in a January 10, 2025 filing to the FCC, we certified to meeting the accelerated buildout (Commitments #2 and #3 of the Extension Request) and the nationwide 80% coverage obligations (Commitment #1 of the Extension Request) due by December 31, 2024. Thus, pursuant to the Extension Request, the final deployment deadlines for the licenses subject to the Extension Request (listed in Appendix G) shall be extended to December 14, 2026.
In addition, the final deployment deadlines for the licenses subject to the Extension Request (listed in Appendix G) shall be further extended to June 14, 2028 as long as we satisfy the remaining Extension Request commitments. See Note 15 in the Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for definitions and further details.
Broadband and Satellite Services
We are an industry leader in both networking technologies and services, innovating to deliver the global solutions that power a connected future for people, enterprises and things everywhere. We provide broadband services to consumer customers, which include home and small to medium-sized businesses, and satellite, multi-transport technologies and managed network services to enterprise customers, telecommunications providers, airlines and government entities, including civilian and defense.
Our EchoStar XXIV satellite began service in December 2023, bringing additional broadband capacity across North and South America and is an integral part of our satellite services business. We have leveraged the EchoStar XXIV to deliver satellite services to unserved and underserved consumer markets in the Americas as well as enterprise, aeronautical and government markets.
We also design, provide and install gateway and terminal equipment to customers for other satellite systems. In addition, we design, develop, construct and provide telecommunication networks comprising satellite ground segment systems and terminals to mobile system operators and our enterprise customers. We offer a robust suite of integrated, multi-transport solutions to enable airline and airline service providers to deliver reliable in-flight network connectivity serving both commercial and business aviation.
PAY-TV
Business Strategy - Pay-TV
Our Pay-TV segment business strategy is to be the best provider of video services in the United States by providing products with the best technology, outstanding customer service and great value. We promote our Pay-TV services by providing our subscribers with a better “price-to-value” relationship and experience than those available from other subscription television service providers. We market our SLING TV services to consumers who do not subscribe to traditional satellite and cable pay-TV services, as well as to current and recent traditional pay-TV subscribers who desire a lower cost alternative.
● Products with the Best Technology. We offer a wide selection of local and national HD programming and are a technology leader in our industry, offering award-winning DVRs (including our Hopper® whole-home HD DVR), multiple tuner receivers, video on demand and external hard drives. We offer several SLING TV services, including SLING Orange (our single-stream SLING domestic service), SLING Blue (our multi-stream SLING domestic service), International, Latino and Freestream, among others, as well as add-on extras, direct to consumer services, pay-per-view events and a cloud-based DVR service.
● Outstanding Customer Service. We strive to provide outstanding customer service by, among other things, improving the quality of the initial installation of subscriber equipment, improving the reliability of our equipment, better educating our customers about our products and services and resolving customer problems promptly and effectively when they arise.
● Great Value. We have historically been viewed as the low-cost provider in the pay-TV industry in the United States. However, today with DISH TV, we are focused on a message of Service, Value and Technology. We also offer a differentiated customer experience with our award-winning Hopper® platform that integrates voice control, access to apps including Netflix, Prime Video and YouTube and the ability to watch live, recorded and On Demand content anywhere with the DISH Anywhere mobile application. As another example, our SLING Orange service and our SLING Blue service are two of the lowest priced live-linear online streaming services in the industry.
Products and Services - Pay-TV
DISH TV services. We offer a wide selection of video services under the DISH TV brand, with access to hundreds of channels depending on the level of subscription. Our standard programming packages generally include programming provided by national cable networks. We also offer programming packages that include local broadcast networks, specialty sports channels, premium movie channels and Latino and international programming.
In addition, we offer our DISH TV subscribers streaming access through DISH On Demand® to thousands of movies and television shows via their TV or Internet-connected devices.
Our DISH TV subscribers also have the ability to use dishanywhere.com and our DISH Anywhere® mobile applications on Internet-connected devices to view authorized content, search program listings and remotely control certain features of their DVRs. Dishanywhere.com and our DISH Anywhere mobile applications provide access to thousands of movies and television shows.
SLING TV services. Our SLING TV services require an Internet connection and are available on multiple streaming-capable devices including, among others, streaming media devices, TVs, tablets, computers, game consoles and phones. We offer domestic, International, Latino and Freestream video programming services. We offer domestic SLING TV services as a single-stream service branded SLING Orange and a multi-stream service branded SLING Blue, which includes, among other things, the ability to stream on up to three devices simultaneously. We also offer add-on extras, direct to consumer services, pay-per-view events and a cloud-based DVR service.
Distribution Channels - Pay-TV
We operate in the consumer market in the United States and use print, radio, television and Internet media, on a local and national basis to motivate potential subscribers to contact DISH TV and SLING TV, visit our websites or contact independent third-party retailers. We often offer our new DISH TV subscribers certain programming at no additional charge and/or promotional pricing during a commitment period. We often offer our new SLING TV subscribers free trials and/or streaming-capable devices at no additional charge and/or promotional pricing.
While we offer receiver systems and programming through direct sales channels, a meaningful percentage of our gross new DISH TV subscriber activations are generated through independent third parties such as small retailers, direct marketing groups, local and regional consumer electronics stores, nationwide retailers and telecommunications companies. In general, we pay these independent third parties a mix of upfront and monthly incentives to solicit orders for our services and provide customer service. We offer our SLING TV services through direct sales channels and third-party marketing agreements.
We incur significant upfront costs to provide our new DISH TV subscribers with in-home equipment, which most of our new DISH TV subscribers lease from us. We also incur significant upfront costs to install satellite dishes and receivers in the homes of our new DISH TV subscribers.
Competition - Pay-TV
Competition has intensified in recent years as the pay-TV industry has matured. We and our competitors increasingly must seek to attract a greater proportion of new subscribers from each other’s existing subscriber bases rather than from first-time purchasers of pay-TV services. We face substantial competition from established pay-TV providers and broadband service providers and increasing competition from companies providing/facilitating the delivery of video content via the Internet to computers, televisions and other streaming and mobile devices, including wireless service providers. In recent years, industry consolidation and convergence has created competitors with greater scale and multiple product/service offerings. These developments, among others, have contributed to intense and increasing competition, and we expect such competition to continue.
We incur significant costs to retain our existing DISH TV subscribers, generally as a result of upgrading their equipment to next generation receivers, primarily including our Hopper® receivers, and by providing retention credits. Our DISH TV subscriber retention costs may vary significantly from period to period.
Many of our competitors have been especially aggressive by offering discounted programming and services for both new and existing subscribers, including, but not limited to, bundled offers combining broadband, video and/or wireless services and other promotional offers. Certain competitors have been able to subsidize the price of video services with the price of broadband and/or wireless services.
Our Pay-TV services also face increased competition from programmers and other companies who distribute video directly to consumers over the Internet, as well as traditional satellite television providers, cable companies and large telecommunications companies that are rapidly increasing their Internet-based video offerings and direct-to-consumer exclusive and non-exclusive content. We also face competition from providers of video content, many of which are providers of programming content to us, that distribute content over the Internet including services with live-linear television programming, as well as single programmer offerings and offerings of large libraries of on-demand content, including in certain cases original content. These product offerings include, but are not limited to: Netflix, Hulu, Apple+, Prime Video, YouTube TV, Disney+, ESPN+, Paramount+, Max, STARZ, Peacock, Fubo, Philo and Tubi and certain bundles of these offerings.
Significant changes in consumer behavior regarding the means by which consumers obtain video entertainment and information in response to digital media competition could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition or otherwise disrupt our business.
In particular, consumers have shown increased interest in viewing certain video programming in any place, at any time and/or on any broadband or Internet-connected device they choose. Online content providers may cause our subscribers to disconnect our DISH TV services (“cord cutting”), downgrade to smaller, less expensive programming packages (“cord shaving”) or elect to purchase through these online content providers a certain portion of the services that they would have historically purchased from us.
Mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and alliances among cable television providers, telecommunications companies, programming providers and others may result in, among other things, greater scale and financial leverage and increase the availability of offerings from providers capable of bundling video, broadband and/or wireless services in competition with our services and may exacerbate the risks described in our public filings. These transactions may affect us adversely by, among other things, making it more difficult for us to obtain access to certain programming networks on nondiscriminatory and fair terms, or at all.
For further information see “Item 1A - Risk Factors - Competition and Economic Risks - We face intense and increasing competition from providers of video, broadband and/or wireless services, which may require us to further increase subscriber acquisition and retention spending or accept lower subscriber activations and higher subscriber churn.”
WIRELESS
Business Strategy - Wireless
Our Wireless segment business strategy is to expand our current target segments and profitably grow our Wireless subscriber base and commercialize and grow customer traffic on our 5G Network. We intend to grow our Wireless subscriber base by acquiring and retaining high quality subscribers with competitive offers, choice and outstanding customer service that better meet those subscribers’ needs and budget.
We offer nationwide Wireless services to subscribers primarily under our Boost Mobile and Gen Mobile brands, as well as a competitive portfolio of wireless devices. We offer customers value by providing choice and flexibility in our Wireless services. Prepaid Wireless subscribers generally pay in advance for monthly access to wireless talk, text and data services. Postpaid Wireless subscribers are qualified to pay after receiving wireless talk, text and data services, and may also qualify for certain device financing arrangements.
Boost Mobile postpaid. During 2023, we launched our nationwide expansion of our Boost Mobile postpaid Wireless service. At the end of the third quarter of 2023, we began offering premium wireless devices, including Apple products. We currently offer a broad range of premium wireless devices on our 5G Network, including the Apple iPhone 15 and newer generation iPhones.
We are currently operating primarily as an MVNO as we continue our 5G Network Deployment and commercialize and grow customer traffic on our 5G Network. We are transitioning to an MNO as our 5G Network has become commercially available and we grow customer traffic on our 5G Network. We are currently activating Boost Mobile subscribers with compatible devices onto our 5G Network in markets where we have reached VoNR. We have deployed 5G VoNR covering over 220 million Americans. Within our MVNO operations, today we depend in part on T-Mobile and AT&T to provide us with network services under the MNSA and NSA, respectively.
We have invested a total of over $30 billion in Wireless spectrum licenses. The $30 billion of investments related to Wireless spectrum licenses does not include $10 billion of capitalized interest related to the carrying value of such licenses. See Note 2 and Note 15 in the Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further information. We continue to commercialize our Wireless spectrum licenses through the completion of our 5G Network Deployment. We have committed to the FCC to deploy our 5G Network capable of serving increasingly larger portions of the U.S. population at different deadlines.
We may need to raise additional capital in the future, which may not be available on favorable terms or at all, to fund the efforts described below, as well as, among other things, make any potential Northstar Re-Auction Payment and SNR Re-Auction Payment for the AWS-3 licenses retained by the FCC. There can be no assurance that we will be able to complete all build-out requirements or profitably deploy our Wireless spectrum licenses, which may affect the carrying amount of these assets and our future financial condition or results of operations. See Note 15 in the Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further information.
Our Wireless spectrum licenses are subject to certain interim and final build-out requirements, as well as certain renewal requirements. On September 29, 2023, the FCC confirmed we met all of our June 14, 2023 band-specific 5G deployment commitments, and two of our three nationwide 5G commitments. The single remaining 5G commitment, that at least 70% of the U.S. population has access to average download speeds equal to 35 Mbps, was achieved in March 2024 using the drive test methodology previously agreed upon by us and the FCC and overseen by an independent monitor. We currently have the largest commercial deployment of 5G VoNR in the world covering over 220 million Americans and 5G broadband service covering over 268 million Americans.
In September 2024, the FCC conditionally granted our requests to extend the 5G deployment deadlines for certain of our Wireless spectrum licenses based on several commitments and in a January 10, 2025 filing to the FCC, we certified to meeting the accelerated buildout (Commitments #2 and #3 of the Extension Request) and the nationwide 80% coverage obligations (Commitment #1 of the Extension Request) due by December 31, 2024. Thus, pursuant to the Extension Request, the final deployment deadlines for the licenses subject to the Extension Request (listed in Appendix G) shall be extended to December 14, 2026. In addition, the final deployment deadlines for the licenses subject to the Extension Request (listed in Appendix G) shall be further extended to June 14, 2028 as long as we satisfy the remaining Extension Request commitments. See Note 15 in the Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for definitions and further details.
We may need to make significant additional investments or partner with others to, among other things, continue our 5G Network Deployment and further commercialize, build-out and integrate these licenses and related assets and any additional acquired licenses and related assets, as well as to comply with regulations applicable to such licenses. Depending on the nature and scope of such activities, any such investments or partnerships could vary significantly. In addition, as we continue our 5G Network Deployment, we have and may continue to incur significant additional expenses related to, among other things, research and development, wireless testing and ongoing upgrades to the wireless network infrastructure, software and third-party integration. As a result of these investments, among other factors, we may need to raise additional capital, which may not be available on favorable terms or at all. We may also determine that additional wireless spectrum licenses may be required for our 5G Network Deployment, which will enhance our ability to compete effectively with other wireless service providers.
Products and Services - Wireless
Currently, we offer Wireless subscribers competitive consumer plans with no annual service contracts and monthly service plans including high-speed data and unlimited talk and text. We also offer a variety of value-added services, including, but not limited to, device payment and protection plans and device financing arrangements for certain qualified subscribers.
Distribution Channels - Wireless
We operate in the consumer market in the United States and use, among other things, print, radio, television and Internet media, on a local and national basis to motivate potential subscribers to contact us, visit our websites or contact independent third-party retailers.
We have both an indirect sales channel, which includes third-party owned retail stores and big box stores and a direct sales channel, which services customers online. Through the indirect sales channel, we use direct distribution partners to facilitate product delivery to the third-party retailers. We currently market and distribute our products and services indirectly through third-party owned Boost-branded stores, multi-branded stores, national retail stores (such as Target, Best Buy and Walmart stores) and other stores (such as convenience and grocery stores).
We have relationships with most large manufacturers of wireless devices. We can incur significant upfront costs to subsidize wireless devices offered under promotional pricing to consumers.
Competition - Wireless
Wireless communication services is a mature market with moderate year over year organic growth. Competitors include, among others, providers who offer similar wireless communication services, such as talk, text and data. Competitive factors within the wireless communication services industry include, but are not limited to, pricing, market saturation, service and product offerings, customer experience and service quality. We compete with a number of national wireless carriers, including Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile, all of which are significantly larger than us, serve a significant percentage of all wireless subscribers and enjoy scale advantages compared to us. Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile are currently the only nationwide MNOs in the United States.
Additional primary competitors include, but are not limited to, Metro PCS (owned by T-Mobile), Cricket Wireless (owned by AT&T), Visible (owned by Verizon), Tracfone Wireless (owned by Verizon), Total Wireless (owned by Verizon), and other MVNOs such as Consumer Cellular, Mint Mobile (owned by T-Mobile), Spectrum Mobile and Xfinity Mobile.
BROADBAND AND SATELLITE SERVICES
Business Strategy - Broadband and Satellite Services
Our Broadband and Satellite Services segment business strategy is to maintain and improve our leadership position and competitive advantage through development of leading-edge technologies and services marketed to selected sectors within the consumer, enterprise and government markets globally.
We expect demand for broadband internet access, connectivity, networking and related value-added services will continue to grow across all major end-user markets - consumer, business, enterprise, aeronautical and government. Our strategic objective is to maintain our leadership position and grow our competitive advantage by using our satellite assets, expertise, technologies, capital, investments, global presence, relationships, spectrum assets and other capabilities for development of leading-edge technologies and services marketed to targeted sectors within these markets globally.
Products and Services - Broadband and Satellite Services
We provide broadband satellite technologies and broadband internet products and services to consumer customers. We provide broadband network technologies, managed services, equipment, hardware, satellite services and communications solutions to government and enterprise customers. We also design, provide and install gateway and terminal equipment to customers for other satellite systems. In addition, we design, develop, construct and provide telecommunication networks comprising satellite ground segment systems and terminals to mobile system operators and our enterprise customers.
Customers - Broadband and Satellite Services
Our enterprise customers include, but are not limited to, retailers, financial institutions, aircraft connectivity providers, lottery agencies and companies with multi-branch networks that rely on satellite or terrestrial networks for critical communication across wide geographies, as well as the U.S government. Most of our enterprise customers have long-term contracts with us for the services they purchase. Our Broadband and Satellite Services segment also designs, provides and installs gateway and terminal equipment to customers for other satellite systems and provides satellite ground segment systems and terminals for other satellite systems, including, but not limited to, mobile system operators. Developments toward the launch of next-generation satellite systems, including LEO, MEO and geostationary systems, as well as other multi-transport technologies, could provide additional opportunities to increase demand for our equipment, hardware, technology and services.
Our consumer customers consist of home and small to medium-sized business in the Americas. We provide broadband satellite technologies and broadband internet products and services to these customers.
Competition - Broadband and Satellite Services
Our industry is highly competitive. As a global provider of network technologies, products and services, our Broadband and Satellite Services segment competes with a large number of telecommunications and satellite internet service providers.
In our enterprise markets, we compete against multiple categories of providers. In the managed services area, we compete against providers of satellite-based and terrestrial-based networks, including fiber optic, cable, wireless internet service and internet protocol-based virtual private networks (VPN), which vary by region. In the in-flight connectivity market, we compete against direct and indirect providers of in-flight WiFi services, such as ViaSat and SpaceX.
In our consumer broadband satellite technologies and internet services markets, we compete against traditional telecommunications and wireless carriers, other satellite internet providers, as well as fiber optic, cable and wireless internet service providers. Our primary satellite competitors in the North American consumer market are ViaSat Communications, Inc., which is owned by ViaSat, Inc. (“ViaSat”) and Starlink Services LLC, which is owned by Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (“SpaceX”). Both ViaSat and SpaceX have also entered the South and Central American consumer markets.
Our principal competitors for the supply of satellite technology platforms are Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd, ViaSat and ST Engineering iDirect, Inc.
Manufacturing - Broadband and Satellite Services
Certain products in our Broadband and Satellite Services segment are assembled at our facilities, and we outsource a portion of the manufacturing of other products to third parties. We believe that our manufacturing facilities have sufficient capacity to handle current and future demand. We also contract with certain third-party vendors for the development and manufacture of components that are integrated into our products.
NEW BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES
From time to time we evaluate opportunities for strategic investments or acquisitions that may complement our current services and products, enhance our technical capabilities, improve or sustain our competitive position or otherwise offer growth opportunities.
GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS
Our operations, particularly our global satellite operations, Pay-TV operations, our Wireless and Broadband and Satellite Services businesses and our Wireless spectrum licenses are subject to significant government regulation and oversight, primarily by the FCC and, to a certain extent, by Congress, other federal agencies and international, foreign, state and local authorities. We are subject to telecommunications regulation by a number of regulatory bodies including the FCC, other U.S. federal and state regulators and government agencies, the ITU and regulators and governments in other countries and regions where we hold licenses including the E.U., the U.K., India, Australia and several Latin American countries. We are also subject to export control laws and regulations and trade sanctions laws and regulations of the U.S. and other countries with respect to the export of telecommunications equipment and services. In addition, in the U.S. and some other countries, we are subject to country specific approvals of our products.
Depending upon the circumstances, non-compliance with applicable legislation or regulations could result in suspension or revocation of our licenses or authorizations, acceleration of requirements, the termination or loss of contracts or the imposition of contractual damages, civil fines or criminal penalties, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. These governmental authorities could also adopt regulations or take other actions that would adversely affect our business prospects.
Furthermore, any government policy changes, which may be substantial, could increase regulatory uncertainty. The adoption or modification of laws or regulations relating to video programming distribution, satellite services, wireless telecommunications, broadband, the Internet or other areas of our business could limit or otherwise adversely affect the manner in which we currently conduct our business. In addition, the manner in which regulations or legislation in these areas may be interpreted and enforced cannot be precisely determined, which in turn could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
As detailed below, our Pay-TV operations are subject to FCC jurisdiction, including, without limitation, the FCC’s rules for satellite licensing, placement of satellites, interference avoidance, spectrum sharing and coordination with other satellite systems. We must comply with FCC rules promulgating public interest requirements for DBS providers, security functionality for video providers, technology standards, media ownership, carriage of cable programming and net neutrality. In addition, the Copyright Act of 1976 (the “Copyright Act”) and the Communications Act of 1934 (the “Communications Act”) govern our carriage of broadcast signals.
Our 5G Network Deployment services and our Wireless spectrum licenses are subject to regulation by the FCC and, depending on the jurisdiction, other federal, state and local, as well as international, governmental authorities and regulatory agencies, including, among other things, regulations governing the licensing, construction, operation, sale and interconnection arrangements of wireless telecommunications systems. In particular, the FCC imposes significant regulation on licensees of wireless spectrum with respect to how radio spectrum is used by licensees, the nature of the services that licensees may offer and how the services may be offered, and resolution of issues of interference between spectrum bands. The FCC grants wireless licenses for terms of generally 10-12 years that are subject to renewal or revocation. There can be no assurances that our Wireless spectrum licenses will be renewed. Failure to comply with FCC build-out requirements in a given license area may result in acceleration of other build-out requirements or in the modification, cancellation or non-renewal of licenses. For further information related to our licenses and build-out requirements related to our Wireless spectrum licenses see Note 15 in the Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Our Pay-TV and 5G Network Deployment operations are subject to federal, state and international laws relating to the collection, use, retention, security and transfer of personally identifiable information. The regulatory framework for privacy and security issues worldwide is rapidly evolving and as a result implementation standards and enforcement practices are likely to remain uncertain for the foreseeable future. Any failure by us, our suppliers, or other parties with whom we do business to comply with these standards and practices or with other federal, state or international regulations could result in proceedings against us by governmental entities or others. In many jurisdictions, enforcement actions and consequences for noncompliance are rising. In the United States, these include enforcement actions in response to rules and regulations promulgated under the authority of federal agencies and state attorneys general and legislatures and consumer protection agencies.
The following summary of regulatory developments and legislation in the United States is not intended to describe all present and proposed government regulation and legislation affecting the video programming distribution, satellite services, wireless telecommunications, broadband and Internet industries. Government regulations that are currently the subject of judicial or administrative proceedings, legislative hearings or administrative proposals could change these industries to varying degrees. We cannot predict either the outcome of such proceedings or any potential impact they might have on these industries or on our operations.
FCC Regulations Applicable to Our Operations
FCC Jurisdiction over Satellite Operations. Non-governmental bodies, including commercial entities, that use radio frequencies to provide communications services to, from or within the U.S. are subject to the jurisdiction of the FCC under the Communications Act of 1934, as amended (the “Communications Act”). The Communications Act gives the FCC regulatory jurisdiction over many areas relating to communications operations, including:
• the assignment of satellite radio frequencies and orbital locations to specific services and companies, the licensing of satellites and earth stations and the granting of related authorizations;
• approval for the relocation of satellites to different orbital locations, the replacement of a satellite with another new or existing satellite and the authorization of specific earth stations to communicate with such newly relocated satellites;
• ensuring compliance with the terms and conditions of assignments, licenses, authorizations and approvals;
• avoiding harmful interference with other radio frequency emitters; and
• ensuring compliance with other applicable provisions of the Communications Act and FCC rules and regulations.
We hold licenses and authorizations for satellite and earth stations as well as other services. All satellite licenses issued by the FCC are subject to expiration unless extended by the FCC. Our U.S. FSS licenses generally have 15 year terms. Our DBS licenses generally have 10 year terms. Our licenses are currently set to expire at various times. In addition, at various times we have relied on special temporary authorizations for our operations. A special temporary authorization is granted for a period of only 180 days or less, subject to possible renewal by the FCC. From time to time, we apply for authorizations to use new satellites at our existing orbital locations. To obtain and operate under such FCC licenses and authorizations, we must satisfy strict legal, technical and financial qualification requirements and other conditions including, among other things, satisfaction of certain technical and ongoing due diligence obligations, construction milestones, maintaining bonds, payment of annual regulatory fees and various reporting requirements. Generally, our FCC licenses and special temporary authorizations have been renewed, and our applications for new satellites at our existing orbital locations have been approved, by the FCC on a routine basis, but there can be no assurance that the FCC will continue to do so. Several third parties have opposed in the past, and we expect these or other parties to oppose in the future, some of our FCC satellite authorizations and pending and future requests to the FCC for extensions, modifications, waivers and approvals of our licenses. Necessary federal approval of these applications may not be granted, may not be granted in a timely manner, or may be granted subject to conditions that may be cumbersome. It is also possible the FCC could revoke or terminate certain of our authorizations or licenses if we do not meet the legal, technical and financial requirements discussed above.
Overview of our DBS Satellites, Authorizations and Contractual Rights for Satellite Capacity. Our satellites are located in orbital positions, or slots, that are designated by their western longitude. An orbital position describes both a physical location and an assignment of spectrum in the applicable frequency band. Each DBS orbital position has 500 MHz of available Ku-band spectrum that is divided into 32 frequency channels. Several of our satellites also include spot-beam technology that enables us to increase the number of markets where we provide local channels, but reduces the number of video channels that could otherwise be offered across the entire United States.
The FCC has licensed us to operate a total of 82 DBS frequency channels at the following orbital locations:
● 21 DBS frequency channels at the 119 degree orbital location, capable of providing service to the continental United States (“CONUS”); and
● 29 DBS frequency channels at the 110 degree orbital location, capable of providing service to CONUS; and
● 32 DBS frequency channels at the 61.5 degree orbital location, capable of providing service to most of the United States - of these 32 channels, 30 are licensed to us and we are authorized to use the additional two channels under a grant of Special Temporary Authority.
In addition, we currently lease or have entered into agreements to lease capacity on satellites using the following spectrum at the following orbital locations:
●500 MHz of Ku-band FSS spectrum that is divided into 18 frequency channels at the 118.7 degree orbital location, which is a Canadian FSS slot that is capable of providing service to CONUS, Alaska and Hawaii; and
● 32 DBS frequency channels at the 72.7 degree orbital location, which is a Canadian DBS slot that is capable of providing service to CONUS.
Interference from Other Services Sharing Satellite Spectrum. Non-geostationary orbit (“NGSO”) FSS satellites are permitted to operate on a co-primary basis in the same frequency band as our DBS and geostationary orbit (“GSO”) FSS satellites. The FCC has also authorized the use of multichannel video distribution and data service (“MVDDS”) licenses in the DBS band. MVDDS licenses were auctioned in 2004. MVDDS systems have been commercially deployed in a few markets. We have MVDDS licenses in 82 out of 214 geographical license areas, including Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago and several other major metropolitan areas. The FCC currently has an open proceeding considering whether to permit MVDDS licensees to become Fixed Service operators. We cannot predict either the outcome of this proceeding or any potential impact it might have on our operations.
Despite regulatory provisions intended to protect DBS and FSS operations from harmful interference, there can be no assurance that operations by other satellites or terrestrial communication services in the DBS and FSS bands will not interfere with our DBS and FSS operations and adversely affect our business. SpaceX, Amazon’s Project Kuiper (“Kuiper”) and others have obtained FCC authority to launch and operate, or provide service from, NGSO satellite systems using a variety of spectrum bands, including the 12.2-12.7 GHz band, which we use for our DBS service, and where we also have certain licenses to provide one-way terrestrial MVDDS service. These systems are in the early stages of launch, deployment and operation. When fully deployed by SpaceX, Kuiper and others, there will be tens of thousands of NGSO satellites in orbit sharing our spectrum. There can be no assurance that they will not interfere with our DBS operations and adversely affect our business or that they will not hinder our ability to provide MVDDS service.
Satellite Competition from Additional Slots and Interference. Both DirecTV and us have obtained FCC authority to provide service to the United States from a Canadian DBS orbital slot. The possibility that the FCC will allow service to the United States from additional foreign slots may permit additional competition against us from other satellite providers. It may also provide a means by which to increase our available satellite capacity in the United States. In addition, a number of administrations, such as Great Britain and the Netherlands, have requested authority to add orbital locations serving the United States close to our licensed slots. Such operations could cause harmful interference to our satellites and constrain our future operations.
Public Interest Requirements. The FCC imposes certain public interest obligations on our DBS licenses. These obligations require us to set aside four percent of our channel capacity exclusively for noncommercial programming for which we must charge programmers below-cost rates and for which we may not impose additional charges on subscribers. The Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act of 2010 (“STELA”) required the FCC to decrease this set-aside to 3.5 percent for satellite carriers who provide retransmission of state public affairs networks in 15 states and are otherwise qualified. The FCC, however, has not yet determined whether we qualify for this decrease in set-aside.
The obligation to provide noncommercial programming may displace programming for which we could earn commercial rates and could adversely affect our financial results. We cannot be sure that, if the FCC were to review our methodology for processing public interest carriage requests, computing the channel capacity we must set aside or determining the rates that we charge public interest programmers, it would find them in compliance with the public interest requirements.
Retransmission Consent. The Copyright Act generally gives satellite companies a statutory copyright license to retransmit local broadcast channels by satellite back into the market from which they originated, subject to obtaining the retransmission consent of local network stations that do not elect “must carry” status, as required by the Communications Act. If we fail to reach retransmission consent agreements with such broadcasters, we cannot carry their signals. This could have an adverse effect on our strategy to compete with cable and other satellite companies that provide local signals. While we have been able to reach retransmission consent agreements with most of these local network stations, from time to time, there are stations with which we have not been able to reach an agreement. We cannot be sure that we will secure these agreements or that we will secure new agreements on acceptable terms, or at all, upon the expiration of our current retransmission consent agreements, some of which are short-term.
In recent years, the rates we are charged for retransmitting local channels have been increasing substantially and may exceed our ability to increase our prices to our customers, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. The broadcast stations’ demands for higher rates have resulted in more frequent negotiating impasses and programming interruptions. During these programming interruptions, our subscribers in the affected markets lack access to popular programming and may switch to another multichannel distributor that may be able to provide them with such programming. In addition, the national broadcasters have used their ownership of certain local broadcast stations to require us to carry additional cable programming in exchange for retransmission consent of their local broadcast stations. These requirements may place constraints on available capacity on our satellites for other programming.
The STELA Reauthorization Act of 2014 (“STELAR”) prohibits television stations from coordinating or engaging in joint retransmission consent negotiations with any other local television stations, unless the stations are “directly or indirectly under common de jure control,” expanding a previous FCC ruling prohibiting joint negotiations only among the top four stations in a market. In addition, STELAR prohibits a local television station from limiting an MVPD’s ability to carry other television signals that have been deemed by the FCC to be “significantly viewed” or to carry any other television signal the MVPD is otherwise entitled to carry under the Communications Act, unless such stations are “directly or indirectly under common de jure control” pursuant to FCC regulations. We cannot predict if these restrictions on broadcasters will result in more effective retransmission consent negotiations.
Early Termination Fees. In December 2023, the FCC released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking seeking comment on proposals that would prohibit pay-TV providers from imposing early termination fees on consumers and from practices that require customers who cancel service mid-billing cycle to pay for a complete cycle. If adopted, such prohibitions could impact our pricing and packages. We cannot predict the timing or outcome of this proceeding.
Blackout Rebates. In January 2024, the FCC released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking seeking comment on a proposal that would require MVPDs to issue rebates to subscribers during programming blackouts on both broadcast and non-broadcast networks that result from failed negotiations. If adopted, such requirements could negatively impact our carriage negotiations. We cannot predict the timing or outcome of this proceeding.
Media Ownership Rules. In 2016, the broadcast industry petitioned the FCC to relax its media ownership rules, which, among other things, limit the number of commonly owned TV stations per market and restrict newspaper/broadcast cross-ownership and radio/TV cross-ownership. In November 2017, the FCC voted to: (i) eliminate the newspaper/broadcast cross-ownership rule; (ii) eliminate the radio/television cross-ownership rule; (iii) relax the local television ownership rules to eliminate certain restrictions and modify others; and (iv) eliminate the attribution rule for television joint-sales agreements (collectively, the “2017 Order”). In 2019, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit vacated the 2017 Order. Pursuant to this decision in Prometheus Radio Project v. FCC, on December 20, 2019, the FCC amended its rules to reverse the 2017 Order and reinstate the rules as they existed prior to the 2017 Order. The FCC, though, petitioned for a writ of certiorari with the Supreme Court to reverse the Third Circuit’s decision. On April 1, 2021, in FCC v. Prometheus Radio Project, the Supreme Court reversed the Third Circuit, finding that “the FCC’s analysis was reasonable and reasonably explained for purposes of the APA’s deferential arbitrary and capricious standard.” On June 4, 2021, the FCC released an Order reinstating the rule changes from the 2017 Order.
In December 2017, the FCC initiated a rulemaking proceeding seeking comment on changes to the national television multiple-ownership rule, including changes that could relax or eliminate the current limits that prevent entities from owning or controlling television stations that, in the aggregate, reach more than 39 percent of the television households in the country. If the FCC were to relax or eliminate some or all of the national television multiple-ownership rule, it could increase the negotiating leverage that broadcasters hold in retransmission consent negotiations.
In December 2023, the FCC concluded its 2018 quadrennial proceeding and issued an Order that, among other things, retained the FCC’s general prohibition on a broadcaster owning two or more of the top four stations in a market and added language intended to prevent broadcasters from circumventing this rule by acquiring a top four affiliation and placing it on a multicast or low power television signal on a going forward basis. We cannot predict whether there will be additional challenges to these rules or whether the FCC may address media ownership issues going forward, either through the imposition of new rules or the relaxation of remaining ownership restrictions.
Digital HD Carry-One, Carry-All Requirement. To provide any full-power local broadcast signal in any market, we are required to retransmit all qualifying broadcast signals in that market (“carry-one, carry-all”), including the carriage of full-power broadcasters’ HD signals in markets in which we elect to provide local channels in HD. The carriage of additional HD signals on our DISH TV services could cause us to experience significant capacity constraints and prevent us from carrying additional popular national channels and/or carrying those national channels in HD.
Distant Signals. Pursuant to STELA, we obtained a waiver of a court injunction that previously prevented us from retransmitting certain distant network signals under a statutory copyright license. Because of that waiver, we may provide distant network signals to eligible subscribers. To qualify for that waiver, we are required to provide local service in all 210 local markets in the United States on an ongoing basis. This condition poses a significant strain on our capacity. Moreover, we may lose that waiver if we are found to have failed to provide local service in any of the 210 local markets. If we lose the waiver, the injunction could be reinstated. Furthermore, depending on the severity of the failure, we may also be subject to other sanctions, which may include, among other things, damages.
Cable Act and Program Access. We purchase a large percentage of our programming from cable-affiliated programmers. We may be limited in our ability to obtain access on nondiscriminatory terms, or at all, to programming from programmers that are affiliated with cable system operators. In addition, any other changes in the Cable Act, and/or the FCC’s rules that implement the Cable Act, that currently limit the ability of cable-affiliated programmers to discriminate against competing businesses such as ours, could adversely affect our ability to acquire cable-affiliated programming at all or to acquire programming on nondiscriminatory terms. In addition, affiliates of certain cable providers have denied us access to sports programming that they supply to their cable systems terrestrially, rather than by satellite. The FCC has held that new denials of such service are unfair if they have the purpose or effect of significantly hindering us from providing programming to consumers.
However, we cannot be sure that we can prevail in a complaint related to such programming and gain access to it. Our continuing failure to access such programming could materially and adversely affect our ability to compete in regions serviced by these cable providers.
Open Internet (also known as “Net Neutrality”). In 2015, the FCC adopted Open Internet rules, which applied to both fixed and mobile broadband access providers and prohibited them from, among other things, blocking or throttling traffic, paid prioritization and unreasonably interfering with, or disadvantaging, consumers’ or content providers’ access to the Internet. In addition, because the FCC reclassified broadband access providers as common carriers, these providers were subject to the general common carrier requirements of reasonableness and nondiscrimination. In December 2017, the FCC reversed course and voted to reclassify broadband access providers as information service providers, instead of common carriers. The FCC also voted to eliminate the majority of the Open Internet rules, leaving only certain ISP transparency requirements in place. In 2024, the FCC reversed course yet again by adopting a Declaratory Ruling, Order, Report and Order, and Order on Reconsideration that reestablished the FCC’s authority over broadband internet access services under Title II of the Communications Act, mostly replicating its 2015 decision. On January 2, 2025, the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit found that the FCC lacks the statutory authority to impose these rules and set aside the 2024 Order. We cannot predict the future of these rules or the impact to our Wireless business.
To the extent that network operators implement usage-based pricing, including, but not limited to, meaningful bandwidth caps, or otherwise try to monetize access to their networks by data providers, we could incur greater operating expenses and our Pay TV subscriber count could be negatively impacted. Furthermore, to the extent network operators create tiers of Internet access service and either charge us for or prohibit us from being available through these tiers, our Pay TV business could be negatively impacted. We cannot predict with any certainty the impact to our Pay TV business resulting from changes in how network operators handle and charge for access to data that travels across their networks.
Definition of MVPD. In December 2014, the FCC issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking regarding the definition of an MVPD. Among other things, the FCC is considering whether the definition of an MVPD should apply to Internet-based streaming services, thus making such services subject to the same regulations as an MVPD. The FCC is also considering the appropriate treatment of purely Internet-based linear video programming services that cable operators and DBS providers offer in addition to their traditional video services. This proceeding remains pending. We cannot predict the timing or outcome of this rulemaking or other related rulemaking proceedings.
Federal Trade Commission. The Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) and other federal agencies also have jurisdiction over some consumer protection and elimination and prevention of anticompetitive business practices.
Telecommunications Regulation. Many of the services we provide are also subject to FCC regulation as telecommunications services. For certain services in the U.S., we are required to contribute fees, computed as a percentage of our revenue from telecommunications services to various funds, including the Universal Service Fund (“USF”) to support mechanisms that subsidize the provision of services to low-income consumers, high-cost areas, schools, libraries and rural health care providers. Current FCC rules permit us to pass these contributions through to our customers. The FCC also requires broadband internet access and internet telephony service providers to comply with the requirements of the Federal Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act, which generally requires telecommunications carriers to ensure that law enforcement agencies are able to conduct lawfully-authorized surveillance of users of their services. In addition, as a provider of interconnected voice over internet protocol services, we are required to abide by a number of rules related to telephony service, including rules dealing with the protection of customer information and the processing of emergency calls.
State and Local Regulation
We are also regulated by state and local authorities. While the FCC has preempted many state and local regulations that impair the installation and use of towers for wireless operations and VSAT and other consumer satellite dishes, our business nonetheless may be subject to state and local regulation, including, among others, zoning regulations that affect the ability to install consumer satellite antennas or build out wireless telecommunications networks. In addition, in order to obtain universal service funding, we are subject to being an eligible telecommunications carrier in all 50 states.
International Regulation
We are subject to certain regulations adopted by the International Telecommunication Union (“ITU”). The orbital location and frequencies for certain of our satellites are subject to the frequency registration and coordination process of the ITU. The ITU Radio Regulations define the international rules, regulations and rights for a satellite and associated earth stations to use specific radio frequencies at a specific orbital location. These rules, which include deadlines for the bringing of satellite networks into use, differ depending on the type of service to be provided and the frequencies to be used by the satellite. On our behalf, various countries have made and may in the future make additional filings for the frequency assignments at particular orbital locations that are used or to be used by our current satellite networks and potential future satellite networks we may build or acquire.
In the event the international coordination process that is triggered by ITU filings under applicable rules is not successfully completed, or that the requests for modification of the broadcast satellite services plan regarding the allocation of orbital locations and frequencies are not granted by the ITU, we will have to operate the applicable satellite(s) on a non-interference basis, which could have an adverse impact on our business operations. If we cannot do so, we may have to cease operating such satellite(s) at the affected orbital locations. We cannot be sure of the successful outcome of these ITU coordination processes. We make commercially reasonable efforts to cooperate with the filing nation in the preparation of ITU filings, coordination of our operations in accordance with the relevant ITU Radio Regulations and responses to relevant ITU inquiries.
Certain of our satellite services also must conform to the ITU service plans for Region 2 (which includes the United States). If any of our operations are inconsistent with this plan, the ITU will only provide authorization on a non-interference basis pending successful modification of the plan or the agreement of all affected administrations to the non-conforming operations. Certain of our satellites are not presently entitled to any interference protection from other satellites that are in conformance with the plan. Accordingly, unless and until the ITU modifies its service plans to include the technical parameters of our non-conforming operations, our non-conforming satellites, along with those of other non-conforming satellite operators, must not cause harmful electrical interference with other assignments that are in conformance with the ITU service plans.
The ITU also endeavors to standardize frequency allocations globally, which has led it to work on standards for terrestrial services as well as satellite operations. Combined with the work of international industry-led standards bodies such as 3GPP, these efforts could have a significant effect on the development of our Wireless services.
Foreign Administrations’ Jurisdiction Over Satellite and Terrestrial Operations. Certain of our satellites and earth stations are licensed in foreign jurisdictions. We also have terrestrial authorizations in foreign jurisdictions. In order to provide service to a foreign location from our U.S. satellites, we are required to obtain approvals from the FCC and foreign administrative agencies. The laws and regulations addressing access to satellite and terrestrial systems vary from country to country. In most countries, a license is required to provide our services and to operate satellite systems and earth stations.
Such licenses may impose certain conditions, including implementation and operation of the satellite system in a manner consistent with certain milestones (such as for contracting, satellite design, construction, launch and implementation of service), that the satellite or its launch be procured through a national entity, that the satellite control center be located in a national territory, that a license be obtained prior to launching or operating the satellite or that a license be obtained before interconnecting with the local switched telephone network and we may be subject to penalties or fines for failing to meet such conditions.
Additionally, some countries may have restrictions on the services we provide and how we provide them and/or may limit the rates that can be charged for the services we provide or impose other service terms or restrictions. Furthermore, foreign countries in which we currently, or may in the future, operate may not authorize us access to all of the spectrum that we need to provide service in a particular country.
Registration in the UN Registry of Space Objects
The United States and other jurisdictions in which we license satellites are parties to the United Nations (“UN”) Convention on the Registration of Objects Launched into Outer Space (“The UN Convention”). The UN Convention requires a satellite’s launching state to register the satellite as a space object with an UN Registry of Space Objects. The act of registration carries liability for the registering country in the event that the satellite causes third-party damage. Administrations may place certain requirements on satellite licensees in order to procure the necessary launch or operational authorizations that accompany registration of the satellite. In some jurisdictions, these authorizations are separate and distinct, with unique requirements, from the authorization to use a set of frequencies to provide satellite services. There is no guarantee that we will be able to procure such authorizations even if we already possess a frequency authorization.
Export Control and Foreign Corrupt Practices Act
In the operation of our business, we must comply with all applicable export control and trade sanctions laws and regulations of the U.S. and other countries. Applicable U.S. laws and regulations include the Arms Export Control Act, the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (“ITAR”), the Export Administration Regulations (“EAR”) and the trade sanctions laws and regulations administered by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”).
The export of certain hardware, technical data and services relating to satellites and the supply of certain ground control equipment, technical data and services to non-U.S. persons or to destinations outside the U.S. is regulated by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (“BIS”) under the EAR. Among other things, we are required to obtain import and export licenses from the United States government to receive and deliver certain components of direct-to-home satellite television systems. In addition, BIS regulates our export of satellite communications network equipment to non-U.S. persons or to destinations outside of the U.S. The export of other items is regulated by the U.S. Department of State’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls under the ITAR and are subject to strict export control and prior approval requirements government (including prohibitions on the sharing of certain satellite-related goods and services with China). In addition, we cannot provide certain equipment or services to certain countries subject to U.S. trade sanctions unless we first obtain the necessary authorizations from OFAC. We are also subject to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and similar anti-bribery laws in other jurisdictions that generally prohibit companies and their intermediaries from making improper payments or giving or promising to give anything of value to foreign government officials and other individuals for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business or gaining a competitive advantage.
Non-U.S. Telecommunications Regulation
Many of the services we provide are also subject to the regulation of other countries as telecommunications services. For certain services, we may be required to contribute fees to a universal service or other fund to support mechanisms that subsidize the provision of services to designated groups. Many countries also impose requirements on telecommunications carriers to ensure that law enforcement agencies are able to conduct lawfully-authorized surveillance of users of their services. In addition, we are subject to a number of other rules, including rules related to telephony service such as the protection of customer information and processing of emergency calls.
Regulations Governing our Wireless Operations
The FCC regulates many aspects of our Wireless and 5G Network Deployment operations. Generally, the FCC has jurisdiction over the construction, operation, acquisition and transfer of wireless communications systems. All wireless services require use of radio frequency spectrum, the assignment and distribution of which is subject to FCC regulations and oversight. The FCC can also determine what services can be offered and how they can be offered over certain frequency bands. For more information regarding our FCC Licenses, see discussion above and Note 15 in the Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Additionally, the FCC and the Federal Aviation Administration regulate the siting, lighting and construction of transmitter towers and antennae. Tower siting and construction are also subject to, among other things, state and local zoning, as well as federal statutes regarding environmental and historic preservation. The future costs to comply with all relevant regulations are to some extent unknown and changes to regulations, or the applicability of regulations, could result in higher operating and capital expenses, or reduced revenues in the future. Furthermore, the FCC has also imposed certain specific mandates on wireless carriers, including, but not limited to, construction and geographic coverage requirements, technical operating standards, provision of enhanced 911 services, roaming obligations, assistance to law enforcement and requirements for wireless tower and antenna facilities.
The FTC and other federal agencies also have jurisdiction over some consumer protection and elimination and prevention of anticompetitive business practices with respect to the provision of non-common carrier services.
Meanwhile, our 5G Network Deployment will involve significant deployment of certain equipment and therefore increase the need for local permitting processes that allow for the placement of equipment on reasonable timelines and terms. While the Communications Act generally preempts state and local governments from regulating the entry of, or the rates charged by, wireless communications services providers, certain state and local governments regulate other terms and conditions of wireless service, including, but not limited to, billing, termination of service arrangements and the imposition of early termination fees, advertising, network outages, the use of devices while driving, zoning and land use. The Communications Act also does not prohibit state and local governments from regulating the other “terms and conditions” of wireless service. For example, some states attempt to regulate wireless customer billing matters and impose reporting requirements. Several states also have laws or regulations that address safety issues (e.g., use of wireless handsets while driving) and taxation matters. In addition, wireless tower and antenna facilities are often subject to state and local zoning and land use regulation, and securing approvals for new or modified facilities is often a lengthy and expensive process.
ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS
We are subject to the requirements of federal, state, local and foreign environmental and occupational safety and health laws and regulations. These include laws regulating air emissions, waste-water discharge and waste management, most significantly the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (“EPCRA”). Under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, our Hughes segment is considered a small quantity generator.
As required by the EPCRA, we file annual reports with regulatory agencies covering four areas: Emergency Planning, Emergency Release, Hazardous Chemical Storage and Toxic Chemical Release Inventory. We maintain small quantities of hazardous materials on our premises and, therefore, have relatively modest reporting requirements under the EPCRA. We are also subject to the requirements of other environmental and occupational safety and health laws and regulations. Additionally, we review the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act Title III regulatory requirements and annually report quantities of onsite material storage using Tier II, state DEQ (Department of Environmental Quality) reporting systems.
Our environmental compliance costs, capital and other expenditures to date have not been material, and we do not expect them to be material in 2025 or 2026. However, environmental requirements are complex, change frequently and have become more stringent over time. Accordingly, we cannot provide assurance that these requirements will not change or become more stringent in the future in a manner that could have a material adverse effect on our business and/or environmental compliance costs, capital or other expenditures.
PATENTS AND OTHER INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
Many entities, including, but not limited to, some of our competitors, have or may in the future obtain patents and other intellectual property rights that cover or affect products or services that we offer or that we may offer in the future. In general, if a court determines that one or more of our products or services infringe intellectual property rights held by others, we may be required to cease developing or marketing those products or services, to obtain licenses from the holders of the intellectual property rights at a material cost or to redesign those products or services in such a way as to avoid infringing any patent claims. If those intellectual property rights are held by a competitor, we may be unable to obtain the intellectual property rights at any price, which could adversely affect our competitive position.
We may not be aware of all intellectual property rights that our products or services may potentially infringe. In addition, patent applications in the United States are confidential until the Patent and Trademark Office either publishes the application or issues a patent (whichever arises first) and, accordingly, our products may infringe claims contained in pending patent applications of which we are not aware. Further, the process of determining definitively whether a claim of infringement is valid often involves expensive and protracted litigation, even if we are ultimately successful on the merits.
We cannot estimate the extent to which we may be required in the future to obtain intellectual property licenses or the availability and cost of any such licenses. Those costs, and their impact on our results of operations, could be material. Damages in patent infringement cases can be substantial, and in certain circumstances can be trebled. To the extent that we are required to pay unanticipated royalties to third parties, these increased costs of doing business could negatively affect our liquidity and operating results. We are currently defending multiple patent infringement actions. We cannot be certain the courts will conclude these companies do not own the rights they claim, that our products do not infringe on these rights and/or that these rights are not valid. Furthermore, we cannot be certain that we would be able to obtain licenses from these persons on commercially reasonable terms or, if we were unable to obtain such licenses, that we would be able to redesign our products to avoid infringement.
SEGMENT REPORTING DATA AND GEOGRAPHIC AREA DATA
For segment reporting data and principal geographic area data for 2024, 2023 and 2022, see Note 16 in the Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
HUMAN CAPITAL
We believe that our future success will depend to a significant extent upon the performance of Charles W. Ergen, our Chairman and certain other executives. The loss of Mr. Ergen or of certain other key executives could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Although all of our executives have executed agreements with certain non-competition restrictions that apply if they leave us, we generally do not have employment agreements with them.
We believe that our Wireless business, including our ability to complete our 5G Network Deployment, is dependent on our ability to identify, hire, develop, motivate and retain a team of highly skilled personnel with knowledge of the wireless industry. Our Wireless business will be adversely affected if we fail to effectively identify, hire, develop, motivate and retain highly skilled personnel with knowledge of the wireless industry.
We had approximately 13,700 employees at December 31, 2024, the majority of whom were located in the United States and approximately 600 internationally. We generally consider relations with our employees to be good. Approximately 400 of our employees located in Italy and Brazil are represented by a union. Our mission is to be a global connectivity provider for people, enterprises and things.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
We are subject to the informational requirements of the Exchange Act and accordingly file our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. As an electronic filer, our public filings are also maintained on the SEC’s Internet site that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC. The address of that website is http://www.sec.gov.
WEBSITE ACCESS
Our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act also may be accessed free of charge through our website as soon as reasonably practicable after we have electronically filed such material with, or furnished it to, the SEC. The address of that website is https://ir.echostar.com/.
We have adopted a written code of ethics that applies to all of our directors, officers and employees, including our principal executive officer and senior financial officers, in accordance with Section 406 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the rules of the SEC promulgated thereunder. Our code of ethics is available on our corporate website at https://ir.echostar.com/corporate-governance. In the event that we make changes in, or provide waivers of, the provisions of this code of ethics that the SEC requires us to disclose, we intend to disclose these events on our website.
INFORMATION ABOUT OUR EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
(furnished in accordance with Item 401(b) of Regulation S-K, pursuant to General Instruction G(3) of Form 10-K)
The following table and information below sets forth the name, age and position with EchoStar of each of our executive officers, the period during which each executive officer has served as such, and each executive officer’s business experience during the past five years:
Name
Age
Position
Charles W. Ergen
Chairman
Hamid Akhavan
President, Chief Executive Officer
Paul Gaske
Chief Operating Officer, Hughes
Dean A. Manson
Chief Legal Officer and Secretary
Paul W. Orban
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, DISH
Gary Schanman
Executive Vice President and Group President, Video Services
John W. Swieringa
President, Technology and Chief Operating Officer
Charles W. Ergen. Mr. Ergen has served as our executive Chairman since November 2009 and Chairman of the Board of Directors since our formation in 2007. Mr. Ergen served as our Chief Executive Officer from our formation in 2007 until November 2009. Mr. Ergen serves as executive Chairman and has been Chairman of the Board of Directors of DISH Network Corporation (“DISH”) since its formation and, during the past five years, has held executive officer and director positions with DISH and its subsidiaries (together with DISH, “Dish Network”) most recently serving as the Chief Executive Officer of DISH from March 2015 to December 2017.
Hamid Akhavan. Mr. Akhavan has served as our Chief Executive Officer and President since April 2022. Following the announcement of the agreement to enter into the business combination with DISH Network, Mr. Akhavan served as the DISH Network’s Chief Executive Officer from November 2023 to December 2023. Prior to joining EchoStar, Mr. Akhavan has accumulated extensive leadership experience at major telecommunications and technology companies, including Chief Executive Officer of Unify, Inc, and Chief Executive Officer of T-Mobile International, where he also served as a member of the Board of Management of Deutsche Telekom. In recent years, Akhavan has been active in private equity and serving on the board of directors of several public and private companies.
Paul Gaske. Mr. Gaske became Chief Operating Officer, Hughes effective January 1, 2023, reporting to the Company’s Chief Executive Officer. Prior to becoming the Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Gaske was the Executive President and General Manager of the North American Division of Hughes Network Systems, LLC since 1999. Mr. Gaske also oversees Hughes manufacturing.
Dean A. Manson. Mr. Manson has served as our Chief Legal Officer and Secretary since November 2011 and is responsible for all our legal, government affairs and corporate information security. Mr. Manson joined our subsidiary Hughes Network Systems, LLC in 2000 and was appointed its General Counsel in 2004. He was previously with the law firm of Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP, where he focused on international project finance and corporate transactions.
Paul W. Orban. Mr. Orban has served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, DISH since December 2023 and is responsible for all aspects of DISH Network’s finance, accounting, tax, treasury, internal audit and supply chain departments. Mr. Orban has served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of DISH Network since July 2019 and has had responsibility for all aspects of DISH Network’s finance, accounting, tax, treasury, internal audit and supply chain departments. Mr. Orban served as Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer from December 2015 to July 2019, Senior Vice President and Corporate Controller from September 2006 to December 2015 and as Vice President and Corporate Controller from September 2003 to September 2006. He also served as EchoStar’s Senior Vice President and Corporate Controller from 2008 to 2012 pursuant to a management services agreement between DISH Network and EchoStar. Since joining DISH Network in 1996, Mr. Orban has held various other positions of increasing responsibility in our accounting department. Prior to DISH Network, Mr. Orban was an auditor with Arthur Andersen LLP.
Gary Schanman. Mr. Schanman has served as Executive Vice President and Group President, Video Services since December 2023 and is responsible for the DISH TV and SLING TV businesses, including product, media sales, marketing and programming. Mr. Schanman previously served as Executive Vice President and Group President, Video Services for DISH Network since July 2023. Mr. Schanman previously served as Executive Vice President and Group President, SLING TV since April 2022 and has had responsibility for all aspects of the SLING TV business. Prior to EchoStar, Mr. Schanman was the Founder and President of GB Monday, while also acting as Chief Product and Technology Officer for Common Sense Networks and its kids streaming service, Sensical from July 2020 to April 2022. Prior to that, from March 2014 to March 2020, he served as Senior Vice President of Spectrum Video Products at Charter Communications.
John W. Swieringa. Mr. Swieringa has served as President of Technology and Chief Operating Officer since December 2023 and is responsible for all the technology and operational aspects of our business. Mr. Swieringa previously served as the President of Technology and Chief Operating Officer of DISH Network since August 2023. Mr. Swieringa previously served as President and Chief Operating Officer of DISH Network’s Wireless business segment from January 2022 to August 2023 and has had responsibility for all operational aspects of DISH Network’s Wireless business segment. Mr. Swieringa previously served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of DISH Network since December 2017 and as Group President, Retail Wireless since July 2020 and has had responsibility for all aspects of DISH Network’s Retail Wireless business. Mr. Swieringa previously served as Executive Vice President, Operations from December 2015 to December 2017, as Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer from March 2014 to December 2015 and as Vice President of Information Technology Customer Applications from March 2010 to March 2014. Mr. Swieringa joined DISH Network in December 2007 serving in our finance department.
There are no arrangements or understandings between any executive officer and any other person pursuant to which any executive officer was selected as such. Pursuant to the Bylaws of EchoStar, executive officers serve at the discretion of the Board of Directors.

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ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
Item 1A.RISK FACTORS
The risks and uncertainties described below are not the only ones facing us. If any of the following events occur or evolve in a way different than expected, our business, financial condition, or results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.
Competition and Economic Risks
We face intense and increasing competition from providers of video, broadband and/or wireless services, which may require us to further increase subscriber acquisition and retention spending or accept lower subscriber activations and higher subscriber churn.
Our Pay-TV business faces substantial competition from established pay-TV providers and broadband service providers and increasing competition from companies providing/facilitating the delivery of video content via the Internet to computers, televisions and other streaming and mobile devices, including, but not limited to, wireless service providers. In recent years, the traditional pay-TV industry has matured, and industry consolidation and convergence have created competitors with greater scale and multiple product/service offerings. Some of these services charge nominal or no fees for access to their content, which could adversely affect demand for our Pay-TV services. Moreover, new technologies have been, and will likely continue to be, developed that further increase the number of competitors we face with respect to video services, including, but not limited to, competition from piracy-based video offerings. These developments, among others, have contributed to intense and increasing competition, which we expect to continue.
We face increasing competition from content providers and other companies who distribute video directly to consumers over the Internet. These content providers and other companies, as well as traditional satellite television providers, cable companies and large telecommunication companies, are rapidly increasing their Internet-based video offerings. See “Item 1. Business - Overview - Competition” and “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - Trends in our Pay-TV Segment” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further information.
Mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and alliances among cable television providers, telecommunications companies, programming providers and others may result in, among other things, greater scale and financial leverage and increase the availability of offerings from providers capable of bundling video, broadband and/or wireless services in competition with our services and may exacerbate the risks described herein. Such providers may be able to, among other things, utilize their increased leverage over third-party content owners and programmers to withhold online rights from us and reduce the price they pay for programming at the expense of other MVPDs, including us; thwart our ability to compete in the wireless market, by, among other things, refuse to enter into data roaming agreements; underutilize key orbital spectrum resources that could be more efficiently used by us; foreclose or degrade our online video offerings at various points in the broadband pipe; and impose data caps on consumers who access our online video offerings. See “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - Trends in our Pay-TV Segment - Programming” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further information.
We believe that the availability and extent of programming, including, but not limited to, unique programming services such as foreign language, sports programming and original content, and other value-added services such as access to video via mobile devices, continue to be significant factors in consumers’ choice among pay-TV providers. Other pay-TV providers may have more successfully marketed and promoted their programming packages and value-added services and may also be better equipped and have greater resources to increase their programming offerings and value-added services to respond to increasing consumer demand.
We may be required to make substantial additional investments in infrastructure to respond to competitive pressure to deliver enhanced programming and other value-added services, and there can be no assurance that we will be able to compete effectively with offerings from other pay-TV providers.
Furthermore, this increasingly competitive environment may require us to increase subscriber acquisition and retention spending or accept lower subscriber activations and higher subscriber churn. Increasingly, we must seek to attract a greater proportion of new subscribers from our competitors’ existing subscriber bases rather than from first-time purchasers of pay-TV services. In addition, because other pay-TV providers may be seeking to attract a greater proportion of their new subscribers from our existing subscriber base, we may be required to increase retention spending and/or provide greater discounts or credits to acquire and retain subscribers who may spend less on our services. Our SLING TV subscribers on average purchase lower-priced programming services than do DISH TV subscribers. Accordingly, an increase in SLING TV subscribers has a negative impact on our Pay-TV average monthly revenue per subscriber (“Pay-TV ARPU”). If our Pay-TV ARPU decreases or does not increase commensurate with increases in programming or other costs, our margins may be reduced and the long-term value of a subscriber would then decrease and could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
In addition, as a result of this increased competitive environment and the maturation of the pay-TV industry, future growth opportunities of our DISH TV business may be limited and our margins may be reduced, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. Our gross new DISH TV subscriber activations continue to be negatively impacted by stricter subscriber acquisition policies (including, but not limited to, a focus on attaining higher quality subscribers) and increased competitive pressures, including, but not limited to, aggressive marketing, more aggressive retention efforts, bundled discount offers combining broadband, video and/or wireless services and other discounted promotional offers. In addition, we face increased competitive pressures from content providers and other companies who distribute video directly to consumers over the Internet. These content providers and other companies, as well as traditional satellite television providers, cable companies and large telecommunication companies, are rapidly increasing their Internet-based video offerings and direct-to-consumer exclusive and non-exclusive content. There can be no assurance that our gross new DISH TV subscriber activations, net DISH TV subscriber additions and DISH TV churn rate will not continue to be negatively impacted and that the pace of such negative impact will not accelerate. In the event that our DISH TV subscriber base continues to decline or such decline accelerates, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Changing consumer behavior and new technologies in our Pay-TV business may reduce our subscriber activations and may cause our subscribers to purchase fewer services from us or to cancel our services altogether, resulting in less revenue to us.
New technologies, products and services are driving rapid changes in consumer behavior as consumers seek more control over when, where and how they consume content and access communication services. In particular, through technological advancements and with the large increase in the number of consumers with broadband service, a significant amount of video content has become available through online content providers for users to stream and view on their personal computers, televisions, phones, tablets, video game consoles and other devices, in some cases without a fee required to access the content. While our subscribers can use their traditional video subscription to access mobile programming, an increasing number of subscribers are also using mobile devices as the sole means of viewing video, and an increasing number of non-traditional video providers is developing content and technologies to satisfy that demand. For example, these technological advancements, changes in consumer behavior and the increasing number of choices available to consumers regarding the means by which consumers obtain video content may cause DISH TV subscribers to disconnect our services (“cord cutting”), downgrade to smaller, less expensive programming packages (“cord shaving”) or elect to purchase through online content providers a certain portion of the services that they would have historically purchased from us.
These technological advancements and changes in consumer behavior and/or our failure to effectively anticipate or adapt to such changes, could reduce our gross new Pay-TV subscriber activations and increase our subscriber churn rate and could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
New technologies could also create new competitors for us. For instance, we face increasing consumer demand for the delivery of digital video services via the Internet. We expect to continue to face increased competition from companies who use the Internet to deliver digital video services as the speed and quality of broadband and wireless networks continue to improve.
We face certain risks competing in the wireless services industry and operating a facilities-based wireless services business.
As a result of certain acquisitions we have entered the Wireless business. We have made substantial investments to acquire certain wireless spectrum licenses. We plan to commercialize our Wireless spectrum licenses through the completion of our 5G Network Deployment. A Wireless services business presents certain risks. Any of the following risks, among others, may have a material adverse effect on our future business, results of operations and financial condition.
●The wireless services industry is dominated by incumbents. We have limited experience in the wireless services industry, which is an industry with increasing subscriber demands for data services that require increasing capital resources to maintain a robust network. The wireless services industry has incumbent and established competitors such as Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile, each with substantial market share. These companies have, among other things, greater financial, marketing and other resources than us, and have existing cost and operational advantages that we lack. Market saturation is expected to continue to cause subscriber growth rates in the wireless services industry to moderate in comparison to historical growth rates, leading to increased competition for subscribers. As the industry matures, competitors increasingly must seek to attract a greater proportion of new subscribers from each other’s existing subscriber bases rather than from first-time purchasers of wireless services. Furthermore, the cost of attracting a new subscriber is generally higher than the cost associated with retaining an existing subscriber. In addition, we face increasing competition from wireless telecommunications providers who offer mobile video offerings or partner with others to create bundled offerings. Wireless mobile video offerings have become more prevalent in the marketplace as wireless telecommunications providers have expanded the fifth generation of wireless communications. As previously noted, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and alliances among cable television providers, telecommunications companies, programming providers and others may result in, among other things, greater scale and financial leverage and increase the availability of offerings from providers capable of bundling video, broadband and/or wireless services in competition with our services. Such companies may be able to, among other things, pressure third-party content owners and programmers to withhold online rights from us; utilize their increased leverage over third-party content owners and programmers to reduce the price they pay for programming at the expense of other MVPDs, including us; thwart our ability to compete in the wireless market, by, among other things, refusing to enter into data roaming agreements with us; foreclose or degrade our online video offerings at various points in the broadband pipe; and impose data caps on consumers who access our online video offerings. See “Item 1. Business - Overview - Wireless - Business Strategy - Wireless” and “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - Wireless Segment” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further information.
●Our ability to compete effectively in the wireless services industry is dependent on a number of factors. Our ability to compete effectively in the wireless services industry depends on, among other things, our network quality, capacity and coverage; the pricing of our products and services; the quality of subscriber service; our development of new and enhanced products and services; the reach and quality of our sales and distribution channels; our ability to predict and adapt to future changes in technologies and changes in consumer demands; and our capital resources. It also depends on how successfully we anticipate and respond to various competitive factors affecting the industry, including, among others, new technologies and business models, products and services that may be introduced by competitors, changes in consumer preferences, the demand for and usage of data, video and other voice and non-voice services, demographic trends, economic conditions and discount pricing and other strategies that may be implemented by competitors. It may be difficult for us to differentiate our products and services from other competitors in the industry, which may limit our ability to attract and retain subscribers. Our success also may depend on our ability to access and deploy adequate spectrum, deploy new technologies and offer attractive products and services to subscribers. For example, we may not be able to obtain and offer certain technologies, features or services that are subject to competitor patents or other exclusive arrangements. Our success and financial results also depend on, among other factors, our ability to achieve a lower cost structure in our 5G Network Deployment and commercialization of our 5G Network. As we complete our 5G Network Deployment and continue to transition our business to an MNO from an MVNO, our results of operations and financial performance will depend in part on our ability to offer wireless services more cost effectively than we are able to do so through the use of our current MVNO agreements.
●We depend on certain third parties to provide us with infrastructure and products and services. We depend on various key suppliers and vendors to provide us, directly or through other suppliers, with infrastructure, equipment and services, such as switch and network equipment, handsets and other devices and equipment that we would need in order to operate a wireless services business and provide products and services to our subscribers. For example, handset and other device suppliers often rely on one vendor for the manufacture and supply of critical components, such as chipsets, used in their devices. If these suppliers or vendors fail to provide equipment or services on a timely basis, or at all, or fail to meet performance expectations, we may be unable to provide products and services as and when expected by our subscribers. Any difficulties experienced with these suppliers and vendors could result in additional expense and/or delays in operating our Wireless services. Our efforts involve significant expense and require strategic management decisions on, and timely implementation of, among other things, equipment choices, network deployment and management and service offerings. In addition, these suppliers and vendors may also be subject to litigation with respect to technology on which we depend, including, but not limited to, litigation involving claims of patent infringement. In addition, our 5G Network Deployment utilizes an O-RAN architecture, which is designed to, among other things, incorporate components sourced from various third-party suppliers. Generally, these third-party suppliers do not ensure that their products will integrate with components provided by other third-party suppliers. As a result, we generally serve as the overall system integrator. Failure of these products to, among other things, effectively interoperate with one another could adversely affect our financial performance, including, but not limited to, our ability to complete our 5G Network Deployment on a cost-effective or timely basis or at all. In addition, from time to time, we may make certain changes to these products. Failure to successfully implement the changes may result in, among other things, increased operating costs, increased capital expenditures and reduced network performance, each of which, individually or in the aggregate, could adversely affect our operating results and financial condition.
●Wireless services and our Wireless spectrum licenses are subject to government regulation. Wireless services and our Wireless spectrum licenses are subject to regulation by the FCC and other federal, state and local, as well as international, governmental authorities. These governmental authorities could adopt regulations or take other actions that would adversely affect our business prospects, making it more difficult and/or expensive to complete our 5G Network Deployment and to further commercialize our Wireless spectrum licenses or acquire additional licenses. The licensing, construction, operation, sale and interconnection arrangements of wireless telecommunications systems are regulated by the FCC and, depending on the jurisdiction, other federal and international, state and local regulatory agencies.
In particular, the FCC imposes significant regulation on licensees of wireless spectrum with respect to, among other things, how radio spectrum is used by licensees, the nature of the services that licensees may offer and how the services may be offered and resolution of issues of interference between spectrum bands. The FCC grants wireless licenses for terms of generally 10-12 years that are subject to acceleration, renewal or revocation based on certain factors depending on the license including, among others, public interest considerations, level and quality of services and/or operations provided by the licensee, frequency and duration of any interruptions or outages of services and/or operations provided by the licensee, and the extent to which service is provided to, and/or operation is provided in, rural areas and tribal lands. For example, the FCC currently has an open proceeding considering whether to permit MVDDS licensees to become Fixed Service operators. We cannot predict either the outcome of this proceeding or any potential impact it might have on our operations. There can be no assurances that our Wireless spectrum licenses will be renewed or that we will be able to obtain additional licenses. Failure to comply with FCC requirements in a given license area could result in revocation of the license for that license area. In addition, the FCC uses its transactional “spectrum screen” to identify prospective wireless transactions that may require additional competitive scrutiny. If a proposed transaction would exceed the spectrum screen threshold, the FCC undertakes a more detailed analysis of relevant market conditions in the impacted geographic areas to determine whether the transaction would reduce competition without offsetting public benefits. If a proposed spectrum acquisition exceeds the spectrum screen trigger, such additional review could extend the duration of the regulatory review process and there can be no assurance that such proposed spectrum acquisition would ultimately be completed, in whole or in part. In addition, from time to time, we may seek modification and/or waiver of certain build out or other requirements of our licenses from the applicable government agency. Historically, we have successfully negotiated such modifications and/or waivers. However, there can be no guarantee that we will continue to be successful and that failure to meet requirements of our license may result in, among other things, adverse government action, including, but not limited to, acceleration of build out deadlines or cancellation or revocation of our licenses.
Our pay-TV competitors may be able to leverage their relationships with programmers to reduce their programming costs and/or offer exclusive content that will place them at a competitive advantage to us.
The cost of programming represents the largest percentage of our overall Pay-TV costs. Certain of our competitors own directly, partner with and/or are affiliated with companies that own programming content that may enable them to obtain lower programming costs or offer exclusive programming that may be attractive to prospective or existing subscribers. Unlike our larger cable and satellite competitors, some of which also provide internet or broadband based pay-TV services, we have not made significant investments in programming providers. In addition, certain programmers have begun offering a greater amount of their content on a direct-to-consumer basis, including, but not limited to, exclusive and non-exclusive content. As a result, it may be more difficult for us to obtain access to such programming networks on nondiscriminatory and fair terms, or at all. See “Item 1. Business - Government Regulations - FCC Regulations Applicable to Our Operations - Cable Act and Program Access” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further information.
Through the MNSA and the NSA, we depend in part on T-Mobile and AT&T to provide network services to our Wireless subscribers. Our failure to effectively manage these relationships, including without limitation, our minimum commitments, any system failure in their wireless networks, interruption in the services provided to us and/or the termination of the MNSA or the NSA could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
In July 2021, we entered into the NSA with AT&T to provide us with wireless network services. Under the NSA, we have committed to activate on AT&T a minimum percentage of certain of our Wireless subscribers and to utilize AT&T’s network for a minimum specified percentage of our domestic roaming data usage.
In 2020 in connection with the Asset Purchase Agreement, we entered into a master network services agreement with T-Mobile to provide us with wireless network services for a period of seven years (the “Prior MNSA”). In June 2022, we and T-Mobile entered into the MNSA, which amended the Prior MNSA. Under the MNSA, we agreed to a minimum purchase commitment to T-Mobile, subject to certain terms and conditions.
As a result, failure to meet the minimum commitments to AT&T or T-Mobile could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. For example, failure to meet our minimum commitments could result in, among other things, the acceleration of financial commitments and potential termination of the NSA or the MNSA, respectively.
As we continue our 5G Network Deployment, we currently depend in part on T-Mobile and AT&T to provide us with network services pursuant to the MNSA and the NSA, respectively, primarily in areas our 5G Network doesn’t cover. We rely on T-Mobile and AT&T to, among other things, maintain their wireless facilities and government authorizations and to comply with government policies and regulations. If T-Mobile or AT&T fails to do so, our subscriber activations and churn rate could be negatively impacted, which in turn could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. As a result, failure to manage these relationships, including, but not limited to, effectively activating subscribers on the optimal network, transitioning subscribers to a different network, managing the existing subscriber base and vendor relationships and meeting certain minimum commitments could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
In the event that a termination under the NSA or the MNSA were to occur, our Wireless subscribers may need to obtain a new device, a new SIM card or receive a software update to continue receiving Wireless services from us. These required measures could cause significant disruption to our Wireless subscriber base which could result in, among other things, a significant increase in our churn rate. A termination of either the NSA or the MNSA, respectively, could result in significant financial and operational challenges to mitigate such termination, and there can be no assurances that any attempts to mitigate a termination event would be successful on an acceptable timeframe or at all.
We compete with the MNOs whose networks we partially rely on to provide wireless services to our customers, and they may seek to limit, reduce or terminate our network access to the extent that it becomes competitively advantageous to do so.
We are able to offer wireless services to our customers through the 5G Network, and through our existing agreements with AT&T and T-Mobile, both of whom are competitors of ours. While our agreements with AT&T and T-Mobile had ten and seven-year terms from the date of signing, respectively, to the extent that either network service provider experiences, among other things, network capacity challenges, it is possible that our subscribers could be de-prioritized for access to those networks. Further, AT&T and/or T-Mobile may decide not to renew their agreements with us at acceptable rates, or at all or impose other obligations that we are unable or unwilling to accept. Any reduction in, or loss of, access to those networks in the future could significantly impact our ability to provide services to our subscribers and in turn have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Changes in how network operators handle and charge for access to data that travels across their networks could adversely impact our Pay-TV business.
With respect to our Pay-TV business, we rely upon the ability of consumers to access our SLING TV services and certain DISH TV functionality through the Internet. If network operators block, restrict, slow-down or throttle or otherwise impair access to our services over their networks, our business could be negatively affected. To the extent that network operators implement usage-based pricing including, but not limited to, meaningful bandwidth caps, or otherwise try to monetize access to their networks by data providers, we could incur greater operating expenses and our SLING TV subscriber count could be negatively impacted.
Furthermore, to the extent network operators create tiers of Internet access service and either charge us for or prohibit us from being available through these tiers, our SLING TV business could be negatively impacted. In addition, many network operators that provide consumers with broadband service also provide these consumers with video programming, and these network operators may have an incentive to use their network infrastructure in a manner adverse to our continued growth and success. These risks may be exacerbated to the extent network operators are able to provide preferential treatment to their data, including, for example, by offering wireless subscribers access to owned or preferred video content over the Internet without counting against a subscriber’s monthly data caps, which may give an unfair advantage to the network operator’s own or partners video content.
We cannot predict with any certainty the impact to our business that may result from changes in how network operators handle and charge for access to data that travels across their networks.
Economic weakness and uncertainty may adversely affect our ability to grow or maintain our business.
Our ability to grow or maintain our business may be adversely affected by economic weakness and uncertainty, which could result in the following:
● Fewer subscriber activations and increased subscriber churn rate. We could face fewer subscriber activations and increased subscriber churn rate due to, among other things: (i) certain economic factors that impact consumers, including, among others, inflation, rising interest rates, a potential downturn in the housing market in the United States (including a decline in housing starts) and higher unemployment, which could lead to a lack of consumer confidence and lower discretionary spending; (ii) increased price competition for our products and services; and (iii) the potential loss of independent third-party retailers, who generate a meaningful percentage of our gross new DISH TV and Wireless subscriber activations, because many of them are small businesses that are more susceptible to the negative effects of economic weakness. In particular, our DISH TV churn rate and Wireless churn rate may increase with respect to subscribers who purchase our lower tier programming packages and Wireless services, and who may be more sensitive to economic weakness.
● Higher subscriber acquisition and retention costs. Our profits may be adversely affected by increased subscriber acquisition and retention costs necessary to attract and retain high-quality subscribers during a period of economic weakness.
We are also subject to inflationary cost pressures, and if inflation continues or worsens, it could negatively impact us by increasing, among other things, our operating expenses. Inflation may lead to cost increases in multiple areas across our business, for example, rises in the prices of raw materials and manufactured goods, increased energy rates, as well as increased wage pressures and other expenses related to our labor, programming and other costs. While we attempt to increase our revenue to offset increases in costs, there is no assurance that we will be able to do so on an acceptable timeline or at all. Therefore, costs could rise faster than associated revenue, thereby resulting in a negative impact on our operating results, cash flows and liquidity.
We are facing increasing competition which could impact demand for, and result in, increasing pricing pressures with respect to, our products and services.
Our Broadband and Satellite Services segment operates in an intensely competitive, consumer- and enterprise-driven and rapidly changing environment and competes with a growing number of companies that provide similar products and services to consumer and enterprise customers. There can be no assurance that we will be able to effectively compete against our competitors due to, among other factors, their significant resources and operating history. Material competitive risks to our business include, but are not limited to, the following:
● competition from new or different technology compared to our offerings;
● competition from existing or new competitors entering the same markets we serve;
● government funding for competing products and services, reducing demand for our products and services; and
● competitive pressures to provide enhanced functionality for the same or lower price with each new generation of technology.
If we are unable to take advantage of technological developments on a timely basis, or at all, we may experience a decline in demand for our services or face challenges in implementing or evolving our business strategy.
In order to grow and remain competitive, we will need to adapt to changes in available technology, including, but not limited to, artificial intelligence and machine learning, continually invest in our 5G Network Deployment, increase 5G Network capacity, enhance our existing service offerings and introduce new offerings to meet our current and potential subscribers’ changing service demands. Enhancing our 5G Network, including, but not limited to, our ongoing 5G Network Deployment, is subject to risks related to, among other things, equipment choices, network deployment and management and service offerings. In addition, our 5G Network Deployment utilizes an O-RAN architecture, which is designed to, among other things, incorporate components sourced from various third-party suppliers. Generally, these third-party suppliers do not ensure that their products will integrate with components provided by other third-party suppliers. Therefore, we generally serve as the overall system integrator.
As a result, adopting new and sophisticated technologies may result in implementation issues, such as scheduling and supplier delays, unexpected or increased costs, technological constraints, regulatory permitting issues, actual or perceived subscriber dissatisfaction and other issues that could cause delays in launching new technological capabilities, which in turn could result in significant costs or reduce the anticipated benefits of the upgrades. If our new services fail to retain or gain acceptance in the marketplace or if costs associated with these services are higher than anticipated, this could have a material adverse effect on our operating results.
Operational and Service Delivery Risks
Any deterioration in our operational performance and subscriber satisfaction could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
If our operational performance and subscriber satisfaction with respect to our Pay-TV, Wireless, and/or Broadband and Satellite Services businesses were to deteriorate, we may experience a decrease in subscriber activations and an increase in our subscriber churn rate, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. To improve our operational performance, we continue to make investments in staffing, training, information systems and other initiatives, primarily in our call center and in-home service operations, and our Broadband and Satellite Services and Wireless business operations.
These investments are intended to, among other things, help combat inefficiencies introduced by the increasing complexity of our business, improve subscriber satisfaction, reduce subscriber churn, increase productivity and allow us to scale better over the long run. We cannot, however, be certain that our spending will ultimately be successful in improving our operational performance, and if unsuccessful, we may have to incur higher costs to improve our operational performance. While we believe that such costs will be outweighed by longer-term benefits, there can be no assurance when or if we will realize these benefits at all.
If our subscriber activations decrease, or if our subscriber churn rate, subscriber acquisition costs or retention costs increase, our financial performance will be adversely affected.
We may incur increased costs to acquire new subscribers and retain existing subscribers to some or all of our Pay-TV, Wireless or Broadband and Satellite Services businesses. For example, with respect to our Pay-TV business, our gross new DISH TV subscriber activations, net DISH TV subscriber additions, and DISH TV churn rate continue to be negatively impacted by stricter subscriber acquisition and retention policies for our DISH TV subscribers, including, but not limited to, higher quality subscribers. Retention costs with respect to our DISH TV services may be driven higher by, among other things, increased upgrades of existing subscribers’ equipment.
Although we expect to continue to incur expenses, such as providing retention credits and other subscriber acquisition and retention expenses, including, but not limited to, device subsidies and upgrade discounts, to attract and retain subscribers, there can be no assurance that our efforts will generate new subscribers or result in a lower churn rate. Our subscriber acquisition costs and our subscriber retention costs can vary significantly from period to period and can cause material variability to our net income (loss) and free cash flow. Any material increase in subscriber acquisition or retention costs from current levels could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
With respect to our Pay-TV business, programming expenses are increasing, which may adversely affect our future financial condition and results of operations.
Our programming costs represent a significant component of our total expense and we expect these costs to continue to increase on a per subscriber basis. The pay-TV industry has continued to experience an increase in the cost of programming, especially local broadcast channels and sports programming. In addition, certain programming costs are rising at a much faster rate than wages or inflation. These factors may be exacerbated by, among other factors, the increasing trend of consolidation in the media industry, partnerships between companies that offer pay-TV services and programmers and increased direct-to-consumer offerings of both exclusive and non-exclusive content, which may further increase our programming expenses. Our ability to compete successfully will depend, among other things, on our ability to continue to obtain desirable programming and deliver it to our subscribers at competitive prices.
In addition, increases in programming costs cause us to increase the rates that we charge our Pay-TV subscribers, which could in turn cause our existing Pay-TV subscribers to disconnect service. Therefore, we may be unable to pass increased programming costs on to our subscribers, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We depend on others to provide the programming that we offer to our Pay-TV subscribers and, if we fail to obtain or lose access to certain programming, our Pay-TV subscriber activations and our subscriber churn rate may be negatively impacted.
We depend on certain third parties to provide us with programming services. Our programming agreements have remaining terms ranging from less than one to up to several years and contain various renewal, expiration and/or termination provisions. We may not be able to renew these agreements on acceptable terms or at all, and these agreements may be terminated prior to expiration of their original terms.
In addition, our ability to provide services under these agreements and negotiate acceptable terms depends on, among other things, the number of Pay-TV subscribers we have, our actual, perceived or anticipated financial condition and our negotiating power against each programmer, which can vary depending on the size and scale of such programmer.
Negotiations over programming carriage contracts are generally contentious, and certain programmers have, in the past, limited our access to their programming in connection with those negotiations and the scheduled expiration of their programming carriage contracts with us. In recent years, our net Pay-TV subscriber additions have been negatively impacted as a result of programming interruptions and threatened programming interruptions in connection with the scheduled expiration of programming carriage contracts with content providers. In addition, certain content providers have begun making a greater percentage of their content available as a stand-alone product available direct-to-consumer and acceleration of this trend may result in lower net Pay-TV subscriber additions, higher net Pay-TV subscriber losses and increased DISH TV churn rate.
We cannot predict with any certainty the impact to our net Pay-TV subscriber additions, gross new DISH TV subscriber activations and DISH TV churn rate resulting from programming interruptions or threatened programming interruptions that may occur in the future. As a result, we may at times suffer from periods of lower net Pay-TV subscriber additions or higher net Pay-TV subscriber losses.
We typically have a few programming contracts with major content providers up for renewal each year and if we are unable to renew any of these agreements on acceptable terms or at all, or the other parties terminate the agreements, there can be no assurance that we would be able to obtain substitute programming, or that such substitute programming would be comparable in quality or cost to our existing programming. In addition, failure to obtain access to certain programming or loss of access to programming, particularly programming provided by major content providers and/or programming popular with our subscribers, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations, including, among other things, our net Pay-TV subscriber additions. Our programming signals in our Pay-TV business are subject to theft, and we are vulnerable to other forms of fraud that could require significant expenditures to remedy. Increases in theft of our signal or our competitors’ signals could, in addition to reducing gross new DISH TV subscriber activations, also cause our DISH TV churn rate to increase.
We may not be able to obtain necessary retransmission consent agreements at acceptable rates, or at all, from local network stations.
The Copyright Act generally gives satellite companies a statutory copyright license to retransmit local broadcast channels by satellite back into the market from which they originated, subject to obtaining the retransmission consent of local broadcast television stations that do not elect “must carry” status, as required by the Communications Act. If we fail to reach retransmission consent agreements with such broadcasters, we cannot carry their signals. This could have an adverse effect on our strategy to compete with cable and other satellite companies that provide local signals. While we have generally been able to reach retransmission consent agreements with most of these local network stations, from time to time there are stations with which we have not been able to reach an agreement, resulting in the removal of their channels primarily from our DISH TV lineup. There can be no assurance that we will secure these agreements or that we will secure new agreements on acceptable terms, or at all, upon the expiration of our current retransmission consent agreements, some of which are short-term.
In recent years, national broadcasters have used their ownership of certain local broadcast stations to require us to carry additional cable programming in exchange for retransmission consent of their local broadcast stations. These requirements may place constraints on available capacity on our satellites for other programming. Furthermore, the rates we are charged for retransmitting local channels have been increasing substantially and may exceed our ability to increase our prices to our subscribers, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We have limited satellite capacity and failures or reduced capacity could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Operation of our Pay-TV and Broadband and Satellite Services businesses requires that we have adequate satellite transmission capacity for the programming and services we offer. While we generally have had in-orbit satellite capacity sufficient to transmit our existing channels and provide satellite internet coverage and some backup capacity to recover the transmission of certain critical programming and coverage, our backup capacity is limited.
Our ability to earn revenue from our Pay-TV and Broadband and Satellite Services businesses depends on, among other things, the usefulness of our owned and leased satellites, each of which has a limited useful life. A number of factors affect the useful lives of the satellites, including, among other things, the quality of their construction, the durability of their component parts, the ability to continue to maintain proper orbits and control over the satellites’ functions, the efficiency of the launch vehicles used and the remaining on-board fuel following in-orbit insertion. Generally, the minimum design life of each of our owned and leased satellites ranges from 12 to 15 years. We can provide no assurance, however, as to the actual useful lives of any of these satellites. Our operating results could be adversely affected if the useful life of any of our owned or leased satellites was significantly shorter than the minimum design life.
See “Item 1A. Risk Factors - Risks Related to our Satellites” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further information.
Extreme weather may result in risk of damage to our infrastructure and therefore our ability to provide services, and may lead to changes in federal, state and foreign government regulation, all of which could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Extreme weather has the potential to directly damage our network facilities and other infrastructure and/or disrupt our ability to build and maintain portions of our network and could potentially disrupt suppliers’ ability to, among other things, provide the products and services we require to support our operations. Any such disruption could delay our 5G Network Deployment plans, interrupt service for our customers, increase our costs and have a negative effect on our operating results and financial condition. The potential physical effects of extreme weather, such as storms, floods, fires, freezing conditions, sea-level rise and other adverse weather events could negatively affect our operations and infrastructure and, as a result, our financial results. Operational impacts resulting from extreme weather, such as, among other things, damage to our 5G Network infrastructure, could result in increased costs and loss of revenue. We could be required to incur significant costs to improve the resiliency of our infrastructure and otherwise prepare for, respond to and mitigate such weather events. It is impossible to accurately predict the materiality of any potential losses or costs associated with extreme weather.
Our failure to effectively invest in, introduce and implement new competitive products and services could cause our products and services to become obsolete and could negatively impact our business.
Technology in the pay-TV, wireless and broadband and satellite services industries changes rapidly as new technologies are developed, which could cause our products and services to become obsolete. We and our suppliers may not be able to keep pace with technological developments. Our operating results are dependent to a significant extent upon our ability to continue to introduce new products and services, to upgrade existing products and services on a timely basis and to reduce costs of our existing products and services. We may not be able to successfully identify new product or service opportunities or develop and market these opportunities in a timely or cost-effective manner.
The research and development of new, technologically advanced products is a complex and uncertain process requiring high levels of innovation and investment. The success of new product and service development depends on many factors, including among others, the following:
● the difficulties and delays in the development, production, timely completion, testing and marketing of products and services;
● the cost of the products and services;
● the proper identification of subscriber needs and subscriber acceptance of products and services;
● the development of, approval of and compliance with industry standards;
● the amount of resources we must devote to the development of new technologies; and
● the ability to differentiate our products and services and compete with other companies in the same markets.
If the new technologies on which we focus our research and development investments fail to achieve acceptance in the marketplace, our competitive position could be negatively impacted, causing a reduction in our revenues and earnings. For example, our competitors could use proprietary technologies that are perceived by the market as being superior. In addition, delays in the delivery of components or other unforeseen problems associated with our technology may occur that could materially and adversely affect our ability to generate revenue, offer new products and services and remain competitive. Furthermore, after we have incurred substantial costs, one or more of the products or services under our development, or under development by one or more of our strategic partners, could become obsolete prior to it being widely adopted.
If our products and services are not competitive or perceived as not competitive, our business could suffer and our financial performance could be negatively impacted. Our products and services may also experience quality problems, including, but not limited to, outages and service slowdowns, from time to time. If the quality of our products and services does not meet our subscribers’ expectations, then our business, and ultimately our reputation, could be negatively impacted.
We rely on a single vendor or a limited number of vendors to provide certain key products or services to us, and the inability of these key vendors to meet our needs could have a material adverse effect on our business.
Historically, we have contracted with and rely on a single vendor or a limited number of vendors to provide certain key products or services to us such as information technology support, billing systems, security access devices and many components that we provide to subscribers in order to deliver services from our Pay-TV, Wireless and Broadband or Satellite Services businesses. We also rely on a limited number of vendors to supply our wireless devices and wireless network equipment used in connection with our 5G Network Deployment. If these vendors are unable to meet our needs because, among other things, they fail to perform adequately, are no longer in business, are experiencing shortages or supply chain issues or discontinue a certain product or service we need, our business, financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected.
We have experienced in the past and may continue to experience shortages driven by raw material availability (which may be negatively impacted by, among other things, trade protection policies such as tariffs and or/escalating trade tensions, particularly with countries in Asia), manufacturing capacity, labor shortages, industry allocations, natural disasters, logistical delays and significant changes in the financial or business conditions of its suppliers that negatively impact our operations.
While alternative sources for these products and services exist, we may not be able to develop these alternative sources quickly and cost-effectively, or at all, which could materially impair our ability to timely deliver our products to our subscribers or operate our business. Furthermore, our vendors may request changes in pricing, payment terms or other contractual obligations between the parties, which could require us to make substantial additional investments or find alternative arrangements.
We depend on independent third parties to solicit orders for our services that represent a meaningful percentage of our total gross new subscriber activations.
While we offer products and services through direct sales channels, a meaningful percentage of our total gross new subscriber activations are generated through independent third parties such as small retailers, direct marketing groups, local and regional consumer electronics stores, nationwide retailers and telecommunications companies. Most of our independent third-party retailers are not exclusive to us and some of our independent third-party retailers may favor our competitors’ products and services over ours based on the relative financial arrangements associated with marketing our products and services and those of our competitors. Furthermore, most of these independent third-party retailers are significantly smaller than we are and may be more susceptible to economic weaknesses that make it more difficult for them to operate profitably. From time to time, we may adjust the economic terms of agreements with our independent third-party retailers to, among other things, further align our interests with theirs. It may be difficult to better align our interests with our independent third-party retailers because of their capital and liquidity constraints. In addition, any changes we may make may not result in the intended benefits on an acceptable timeline or at all and as a result, negatively affect our operating results. Loss of these relationships could have an adverse effect on our subscriber base and certain of our other key operating metrics because we may not be able to develop comparable alternative distribution channels.
Risks Related to our Human Capital
We rely on highly skilled personnel for our business, and any inability to hire and retain key personnel or to hire qualified personnel may negatively affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We believe that our future success depends to a significant extent upon the performance of Mr. Charles W. Ergen, our Chairman, and certain other key executives. The loss of Mr. Ergen or certain other key executives, the ability to effectively provide for the succession of our senior management or the ability of Mr. Ergen or such other key executives to devote sufficient time and effort to our businesses could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Although some of our key executives may have agreements relating to their equity compensation that limit their ability to work for or consult with competitors, we generally do not have employment agreements with them.
Our business growth and customer retention strategies rely in part on the work of technically skilled employees.
Our response to technological developments depends, to a significant degree, on the work of technically skilled employees. In addition, we have made and will continue to make significant investments in, among other things, research, development and marketing for new products, services, satellites and related technologies, as well as entry into new business areas. Investments in new technologies, satellites and business areas are inherently dependent on these technically skilled employees as well. Competition for the services of such employees has become more intense as demand for these types of employees grows. We compete with other companies for these employees and although we strive to attract, retain, motivate and manage these employees, we may not succeed in these respects. Additionally, if we were to lose certain key technically skilled employees, the loss of knowledge and intellectual capital might have an adverse impact on our business. Furthermore, we believe that our Wireless business, including, but not limited to, our ability to complete our 5G Network Deployment, is dependent on our ability to identify, hire, develop, motivate and retain a team of highly skilled personnel with knowledge of the wireless industry. Our Wireless business will be adversely affected if we fail to effectively hire, develop, motivate and retain highly skilled personnel with knowledge of the wireless industry.
The success of our business is also dependent on our ability to recruit engineers and other professionals, including those who are citizens of other countries. Immigration laws in the U.S. and other countries in which we operate are subject to legislative and regulatory changes, as well as variations in the standards of application and enforcement due to, among other things, political forces and economic conditions.
It is difficult to predict the political and economic events that could affect immigration laws, or the restrictive impact they could have on obtaining or renewing work visas for our professionals. If immigration laws are changed or if new and more restrictive government regulations are enacted or increased, our access to qualified and skilled professionals may be limited.
Risks Related to our Satellites
Our owned and leased satellites in orbit are subject to significant operational and environmental risks that could limit our ability to utilize these satellites.
Satellites are subject to significant operational risks while in orbit. These risks include, but are not limited to, malfunctions, commonly referred to as anomalies, which have occurred and may occur in the future in our satellites and the satellites of other operators. Any single anomaly could materially and adversely affect our ability to utilize the satellite. Anomalies may also reduce, among other things, the expected capacity, commercial operation and/or useful life of a satellite, thereby reducing the revenue that could be generated by that satellite, or create additional expenses due to the need to provide replacement or back-up satellites or satellite capacity earlier than planned and could have a material adverse effect on our business. We may not be able to prevent or mitigate the impacts of anomalies in the future.
Meteoroid events, decommissioned satellites, increased solar activity and other adverse events also pose a potential threat to all in-orbit satellites. We may be required to perform maneuvers to avoid collisions and these maneuvers may prove unsuccessful or could reduce the useful life of the satellite through the expenditure of fuel to perform these maneuvers.
Generally, the minimum design life of each of our satellites is 15 years. We can provide no assurance, however, as to the actual operational lives of our satellites, which may be shorter or longer than their design lives. Our ability to earn revenue depends on the continued operation of our satellites, each of which has a limited useful life.
We generally do not carry in-orbit insurance on our satellites or payloads because we have assessed that the cost of insurance is not economical relative to the risk of failures. If one or more of our in-orbit uninsured satellites or payloads fail, we could be required to record significant impairment charges for the satellite or payload.
Our satellites under construction are subject to risks related to, among other things, construction, technology, regulations and launch that could limit our ability to utilize these satellites, increase costs and adversely affect our business.
Satellite construction and launch are subject to significant risks, including, but not limited to, manufacturing and delivery delays, anomalies, launch failure and incorrect orbital placement. The technologies in our satellite designs are very complex and difficulties in constructing our designs could result in delays in the deployment of our satellites or increased or unanticipated costs. There can be no assurance that the technologies in our existing satellites or in new satellites that we design, acquire and build will work as we expect, will not become obsolete, that we will realize any or all of the anticipated benefits of our satellite designs or our new satellites and/or that we will obtain all regulatory approvals required to operate our new or acquired satellites on an acceptable timeline, or at all. Launch anomalies and failures can result in significant delays in the deployment of satellites because of the need both to construct replacement satellites, which can take significant amounts of time and to obtain other launch opportunities. Such significant delays have and could in the future materially affect, among other things, our business, our ability to meet regulatory or contractual required milestones, the availability and our use of other or replacement satellite resources and our ability to provide services to customers. In addition, significant delays in a satellite program could give customers who have purchased or reserved capacity on that satellite a right to terminate their service contracts relating to the satellite. We may not be able to accommodate affected customers on other satellites until a replacement satellite is available. In addition, we generally do not carry in-orbit insurance on our satellites or payloads because we have assessed that the cost of insurance is not economical relative to the risk of failures.
If we do obtain launch or in-orbit insurance, it may not cover the full cost of constructing and launching or replacing a satellite nor fully cover our losses in the event of a launch failure or significant degradation.
Our use of certain satellites is often dependent on satellite coordination agreements, which may be difficult to obtain.
Satellite operators are required to enter into international spectrum coordination agreements with other affected satellite operators and must be approved by the relevant governments. If a required agreement cannot be negotiated, we may have to operate the applicable satellite(s) in a manner that does not cause harmful radio frequency interference with the affected satellite. If we cannot do so, we may have to cease operating such satellite(s) at the affected orbital locations.
We may face interference from other services sharing satellite spectrum.
The FCC and other national, state, local and international regulators have adopted rules or may adopt rules in the future that require us to share spectrum on a basis with other radio services. There can be no assurance that these operations would not interfere with our operations and adversely affect our business. In the event that the FCC and/or another regulator determines that our spectrum interferes with another service, we may be required to, among other things, find or develop a solution. We cannot make any assurance that we will be able to do so on an acceptable timeline or at all, or that such solution will not adversely affect our business.
Risks Related to our Products and Technology
Our business depends on certain intellectual property rights and on not infringing the intellectual property rights of others.
We rely on our patents, copyrights, trademarks and trade secrets, as well as licenses and other agreements with our vendors and other parties, to use our technologies, conduct our operations and sell our products and services. Legal challenges to our intellectual property rights and claims of intellectual property infringement by third parties could require that we enter into royalty or licensing agreements on unfavorable terms, incur substantial monetary liability or be enjoined preliminarily or permanently from further use of the intellectual property in question or from the continuation of our business as currently conducted, which could require us to change our business practices or limit our ability to compete effectively or could have an adverse effect on our results of operations.
Even if we believe any such challenges or claims are without merit, they can be time consuming and costly to defend and divert management’s attention and resources away from our business. Moreover, because of the rapid pace of technological change, we rely on technologies developed by or licensed from third parties, and if we are unable to obtain or continue to obtain licenses from these third parties on reasonable terms or at all, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.
In addition, we work with certain third parties such as vendors, contractors and suppliers for the development and manufacture of components that are integrated into our products and services, and our products and services may contain technologies provided to us by these third parties or other third parties. We may have little or no ability to determine in advance whether any such technology infringes the intellectual property rights of others. Our vendors, contractors and suppliers may not be required to indemnify us if a claim of infringement is asserted against us, license the potential infringing technology from other third parties or they may be required to indemnify us only up to a maximum amount, above which we would be responsible for any further costs or damages.
Legal challenges to these intellectual property rights may impair our ability to use the products, services and technologies that we need in order to operate our business and may materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Furthermore, our digital content offerings depend in part on effective digital rights management technology to control access to digital content. If the digital rights management technology that we use is compromised or otherwise malfunctions, content providers may be unwilling to provide access to their content. Changes in the copyright laws or how such laws may be interpreted could impact our ability to deliver content and provide certain features and functionality, particularly over the Internet.
We are, and may become, party to various lawsuits which, if adversely decided, could have a significant adverse impact on our business, particularly lawsuits regarding intellectual property.
We are, and may become, subject to various legal proceedings and claims which arise in the ordinary course of business, including, among other things, intellectual property disputes. Many entities, including some of our competitors, have or may in the future obtain patents and other intellectual property rights that may cover or affect products or services related to those that we offer. In general, if a court determines that one or more of our products or services infringes on intellectual property held by others, we may be required to cease developing or marketing those products or services, to obtain licenses from the holders of the intellectual property at a material cost or to redesign those products or services in such a way as to avoid infringing the intellectual property. If those intellectual property rights are held by a competitor, we may be unable to obtain the intellectual property at any price, which could adversely affect our competitive position. See “Item 1. Business - Patents and Other Intellectual Property” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further information. We may not be aware of all intellectual property rights that our services or the products used in connection with our services may potentially infringe. In addition, patent applications in the United States are confidential until the Patent and Trademark Office either publishes the application or issues a patent (whichever arises first). Therefore, it is difficult to evaluate the extent to which our services or the products used in connection with our services may infringe claims contained in pending patent applications. Furthermore, it is sometimes not possible to determine definitively whether a claim of infringement is valid.
If our products contain defects, we could be subject to significant costs to correct such defects and our product and network service contracts could be delayed or cancelled, which could adversely affect our revenue.
Our products and networks we deploy are highly complex, and some may contain defects when first introduced or when new versions or enhancements are released, despite testing and our quality control procedures. Defects may also occur in components and products that we purchase from third parties. In addition, many of our products and network services are designed to interface with our customers’ existing networks, each of which has different specifications and utilizes multiple protocol standards. Our products and services must interoperate with the other products and services within our customers’ networks, as well as with future products and services that might be added to these networks, to meet our customers’ requirements. There can be no assurance that we will be able to detect and fix all defects in the products and networks we sell, in a timely manner or at all. The occurrence of, and failure to remedy, any defects, errors or failures in our products or network services could materially affect our business. In addition, our 5G Network Deployment utilizes an O-RAN architecture, which is designed to, among other things, incorporate components sourced from various third-party suppliers. Generally, these third-party suppliers do not ensure that their products will integrate with components provided by other third-party suppliers. As a result, any defect or other problem may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Risks Related to Cybersecurity
Any failure or inadequacy of our information technology infrastructure and communications systems or those of third parties that we use in our operations, including, without limitation, those caused by cyber-attacks or other malicious activities, could disrupt or harm our business.
The capacity, reliability and security of our information technology hardware and software infrastructure (including, but not limited to, our billing systems) and communications systems, or those of third parties that we use in our operations, are important to the operation of our business, which has in the past and would in the future suffer in the event of system failures or cyber-attacks. Likewise, our ability to expand and update our information technology infrastructure in response to, among other things, our growth and changing needs is important to the continued implementation of our new service offering initiatives. Our inability to expand or upgrade our technology infrastructure could have adverse consequences, which could include, among other things, the delayed implementation of new service offerings, service or billing interruptions and the diversion of management and developmental resources.
We rely on certain third parties for developing key components of our information technology and communications systems and ongoing service, all of which affect our Pay-TV, Wireless and Broadband and Satellite Services businesses. Some of our key systems and operations, including, but not limited to, those supplied by certain third-party providers, are not fully redundant and our disaster recovery planning cannot account for all eventualities. Interruption and/or failure of any of these systems could, among other things, disrupt our operations, interrupt our services, result in significant financial expenditures and damage our reputation, thus adversely impacting our ability to provide our services, retain our current subscribers and attract new Pay-TV, Wireless, and Broadband subscribers and complete our 5G Network Deployment.
In addition, although we take protective measures designed to secure our information technology systems and endeavor to modify such protective measures as circumstances warrant, our information technology hardware and software infrastructure and communications systems, or those of third parties that we use in our operations, may be vulnerable to a variety of interruptions, including, without limitation, natural disasters, terrorist attacks, telecommunications failures, cyber-attacks and other malicious activities such as unauthorized access, physical or electronic break-ins, misuse, computer viruses or other malicious code, computer denial of service attacks and other events that could disrupt or harm our business. These protective measures may not be sufficient for all eventualities and may themselves be vulnerable to hacking, malfeasance, system error or other irregularities.
For example, certain parties may attempt to fraudulently induce employees or subscribers into disclosing usernames, passwords or other sensitive information, which may in turn be used to access our information technology systems. In addition, third-party providers of some of our key systems may also experience interruptions to their information technology hardware and software infrastructure and communications systems that could adversely impact us and over which we may have limited or no control. We may obtain certain confidential, proprietary and personal information about our subscribers, personnel and vendors, and may provide this information to third parties in connection with our business. If one or more of such interruptions or failures occur to us or our third-party providers, it potentially could jeopardize such information and other information processed and stored in, and transmitted through, our or our third-party providers’ information technology hardware and software infrastructure and communications systems, or otherwise cause interruptions or malfunctions in our operations, which could result in, among other things, lawsuits, government claims, investigations or proceedings, significant losses or reputational damage. Due to the fast-moving pace of technology, it may be difficult to detect, contain and remediate every such event on an acceptable timeline or at all.
Our 5G Network Deployment utilizes an O-RAN architecture, which is designed to, among other things, incorporate components sourced from various third-party suppliers. Generally, these third-party suppliers do not ensure that their products will integrate with components provided by other third-party suppliers. As a result, we generally serve as the overall system integrator. We may be required to expend significant additional resources to modify our protective measures or to investigate and remediate vulnerabilities or other exposures, and we may be subject to financial losses. In addition, this may divert management’s attention and resources away from our business, and therefore adversely affect our business. Furthermore, the amount and scope of insurance we maintain may not cover all expenses related to such activities or all types of claims that may arise.
As a result of the increasing awareness concerning the importance of safeguarding personal information, the potential misuse of such information and legislation that has been adopted or is being considered regarding the protection, privacy and security of personal information, the potential liability associated with information-related risks is increasing, particularly for businesses like ours that handle personal subscriber data. The occurrence of any network or information system related events or security breaches could have a material adverse effect on, among other things, our reputation, business, financial condition and results of operations. Significant incidents could result in a disruption of our operations, subscriber dissatisfaction, damage to our reputation or a loss of subscribers and revenues.
We have experienced and may experience in the future cyber-attacks and other attempts to gain unauthorized access to our systems on a consistent basis.
We have experienced and may experience in the future security issues, whether due to, among other things, insider error or malfeasance or system errors or vulnerabilities in our or our third parties’ systems, which could result in, among other things, substantial legal and financial exposure, government inquiries and enforcement actions, litigation, diversion of management time and attention from our existing businesses and unfavorable media coverage. We may be unable to anticipate or detect attacks or vulnerabilities or implement adequate preventative measures on an acceptable timeframe or at all. Attacks and security issues could also compromise trade secrets and other sensitive information.
We are subject to persistent cybersecurity threats to our networks and systems. Although we take protective measures designed to secure our information technology systems and endeavor to modify such protective measures as circumstances warrant, our information technology hardware and software infrastructure and communications systems, or those of third parties that we use in our operations, may be vulnerable to a variety of interruptions, including, without limitation, natural disasters, terrorist attacks, telecommunications failures, cyber-attacks and other malicious activities such as unauthorized access, physical or electronic break-ins, misuse, computer viruses or other malicious code, computer denial of service attacks and other events that could disrupt or harm our business. The protective measures we take may not be sufficient for all eventualities and may themselves be vulnerable to hacking, malfeasance, system error or other irregularities. For example, certain parties may attempt to fraudulently induce employees or subscribers into disclosing usernames, passwords or other sensitive information, which may in turn be used to access our information technology systems.
In addition, cybersecurity threat actors are increasingly sophisticated through various techniques that involve social engineering and/or misrepresentation. Techniques used in cyber-attacks to obtain unauthorized access to, disable or sabotage information technology systems are increasingly diverse and sophisticated, including as a result of emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence and machine learning. Data breaches and other cybersecurity events have become increasingly commonplace, including as a result of the intensification of state-sponsored cyber-attacks during periods of geopolitical conflict. Various events described above have occurred in the past and may occur in the future. Although impacts of past events have been immaterial, the impacts of such events in the future may be material, including, but not limited to, increase in our DISH TV and Wireless churn rates, reduced new subscriber activations and reputational harm which could increase or accelerate any of the above risks.
The confidentiality, integrity and availability of our services and products depends on the continuing operation of our information technology and other enabling systems.
Our systems are vulnerable to damage, intrusion or disruption from, among other things, criminal and/or terrorist attacks, telecommunications failures, computer viruses, ransomware attacks, digital denial of service attacks, phishing and/or other attempts to injure or maliciously access our systems. Some of our systems are not fully redundant and disaster recovery planning cannot account for all possibilities. In addition, our products and services are highly technical and complex and may contain errors or vulnerabilities, which could result in interruptions in or failure of our services or systems. Failure to respond, mitigate and/or remedy any cyber-attack or other information technology failure on a timely basis or at all, could materially affect our business.
Our international businesses expose us to additional risks that could harm our business.
Our Broadband and Satellite Services businesses have international operations. In addition to risks described elsewhere herein, the different regions and countries in which we operate our businesses outside of the U.S. expose us to increased risks due to different privacy and cyber-related laws in each of these locations. The same cyber-related issue could have different consequences depending on, among other factors, the region or country of occurrence, the laws applicable in each case and the different levels of enforcement by regulatory and governmental authorities in each jurisdiction. These risks include, but are not limited to, the following:
● data privacy and security concerns relating to our technology and practices could, among other things, damage our reputation, cause us to incur significant liability and deter current and potential users or customers from using our products and services;
● software bugs or defects, security breaches and attacks on our systems could result in the improper disclosure of our user data which could harm, among other things, our business reputation and result in legal and/or government action;
● concerns about our practices about the collection, use, disclosure or security of personal information or other data-privacy-related matters, even if unsubstantiated, could harm our reputation and financial condition;
● our policies and practices may change over time as expectations regarding privacy and data change.
Our ongoing investments in security will likely continue to identify new vulnerabilities within our services and products.
In addition to our efforts to, among other things, mitigate the risk of cyber-attacks and improve our products and services, we are making significant investments to assure that our products are resistant to compromise. As a result of these efforts, we could discover new vulnerabilities within our products and systems that would be undesirable for our users and customers. We have discovered and remediated, and may discover new vulnerabilities due to the scale of activities on our platforms, and may not be able to mitigate or fix such vulnerabilities on acceptable timeframes or at all, due to other factors, including, but not limited to, issues outside of our control such as natural disasters/climate change such as sea level rise, drought, flooding, wildfires, increased storm severity, power loss, and we may be notified of such vulnerabilities via third parties. Any of the foregoing developments may, among other things, negatively affect user and customer trust, harm our reputation and brands and adversely affect our business and financial results.
Any such developments may also subject us to litigation and regulatory inquiries, which could result in monetary penalties and damages, distract management’s time and attention and lead to enhanced regulatory oversight.
Acquisition and Capital Structure Risks
We have substantial debt outstanding and may incur additional debt.
As of December 31, 2024, our total debt, finance lease and other obligations (including current portion) outstanding, including the debt of our subsidiaries, was $26.603 billion. Our debt levels could have significant consequences, including, but not limited to;
● making it more difficult to satisfy our obligations;
● a dilutive effect on our outstanding equity capital or future earnings;
● increasing our vulnerability to general adverse economic conditions, including, but not limited to, changes in interest rates;
● requiring us to devote a substantial portion of our cash to make interest and principal payments on our debt, thereby reducing the amount of cash available for other purposes. As a result, we would have limited financial and operating flexibility to changing economic and competitive conditions;
● limiting our ability to raise additional debt because it may be more difficult for us to obtain debt financing on attractive terms or at all; and
● placing us at a disadvantage compared to our competitors that are less leveraged or can borrow funds at a lower interest rate.
In addition, we may incur additional debt in the future. The terms of the indentures relating to our senior notes, senior secured notes and our convertible notes permit us to incur additional debt. If new debt is added to our current debt levels, the risks we now face could intensify.
We depend upon our subsidiaries’ earnings to make payments on our indebtedness.
Since we are a holding company and our operations are conducted through our subsidiaries, our ability to service our debt obligations may depend upon the earnings of our operating subsidiaries and their ability to distribute cash or other property to us. We have few assets of significance other than the capital stock of our subsidiaries. Furthermore, creditors of our subsidiaries will have a superior claim to certain of our subsidiaries’ assets. In addition, our subsidiaries’ ability to make any payments to us will depend on, among other factors, their earnings, the terms of their indebtedness, business and tax considerations and legal restrictions. We cannot assure you that our subsidiaries will be able to pay dividends or that our subsidiaries will be able to otherwise distribute funds to us in an amount sufficient to pay the principal of or interest on the indebtedness owed by us.
We have made substantial investments to acquire certain wireless spectrum licenses and other related assets, and may be unable to realize a return on these assets.
We have invested a total of over $30 billion to acquire certain Wireless spectrum licenses. We may need to make significant additional investments or partner with others to, among other things, continue our 5G Network Deployment and further commercialize, build-out and integrate these licenses and related assets and any additional acquired licenses and related assets, as well as to comply with regulations applicable to such licenses. Depending on the nature and scope of such activities, any such investments or partnerships could vary significantly. In addition, as we continue our 5G Network Deployment, we have and may continue to incur significant additional expenses related to, among other things, research and development, wireless testing and ongoing upgrades to the wireless network infrastructure, software and third-party integration. As a result of these investments, among other factors, we may need to raise additional capital, which may not be available on favorable terms or at all. We may also determine that additional wireless spectrum licenses may be required for our 5G Network Deployment, which will enhance our ability to compete effectively with other wireless service providers.
There is no assurance that the FCC will find our 5G Network Deployment sufficient to meet the build-out requirements to which our Wireless spectrum licenses are subject. Failure to comply with FCC build-out requirements and/or renewal requirements in a given license area could result in, among other things, acceleration of the build-out deadlines or revocation of the license for that license area. The revocation of a material portion of our Wireless spectrum licenses would have a significant material adverse effect on our 5G Network Deployment and our future business, results of operations and financial condition.
We may need to raise additional capital in the future, which may not be available on favorable terms or at all, to fund the efforts described above, as well as, among other things, make any potential Northstar Re-Auction Payment and SNR Re-Auction Payment for the AWS-3 licenses retained by the FCC. There can be no assurance that we will be able to complete all build-out requirements or profitably deploy our Wireless spectrum licenses, which may affect the carrying amount of these assets and our future financial condition or results of operations.
Furthermore, the fair values of wireless spectrum licenses may vary significantly in the future. In particular, valuation swings could occur if:
● the consolidation in the wireless industry allows or requires wireless carriers to sell significant portions of their wireless spectrum holdings, which could in turn reduce the value of our spectrum holdings;
● the sale of spectrum by one or more wireless providers occurs;
● the FCC pursues certain policies designed to increase the number of wireless spectrum licenses available in each of our markets; or
● the FCC conducts additional wireless spectrum auctions.
If the fair value of our Wireless spectrum licenses were to decline significantly, the value of these licenses could be subject to impairment charges. We assess potential impairments to our indefinite-lived intangible assets annually or more often if indicators of impairment arise to determine whether there is evidence that indicates an impairment condition may exist.
We capitalize our interest expense associated with the acquisition or construction of certain assets including, among others, our Wireless spectrum licenses. This capitalized interest increases the carrying amount of these licenses for purposes of impairment testing, under which we consider whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of these licenses exceeds the carrying amount of these licenses. An increase in the carrying amount of these licenses combined with other changes in circumstances and/or market conditions could result in an increased risk of an impairment of these licenses in the future, and an impairment of these assets may have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
We may pursue acquisitions, dispositions, capital expenditures, the development, acquisition and launch of new satellites and other strategic initiatives to complement or expand our business, which may not be successful and we may lose a portion or all of our investment in these acquisitions and transactions.
Our future success may depend on opportunities to buy or otherwise invest in other businesses or technologies that could complement, enhance or expand our current business or products or that might otherwise offer us growth opportunities. To pursue this strategy successfully, we must identify attractive acquisition or investment opportunities and successfully complete transactions, some of which may be large and complex. We may not be able to identify or complete attractive acquisition or investment opportunities due to, among other things, the intense competition for these transactions. If we are not able to identify and complete such acquisition or investment opportunities, our future results of operations and financial condition may be adversely affected.
We may be unable to obtain in the anticipated time frame, or at all, any regulatory approvals required to complete proposed acquisitions and other strategic transactions. Furthermore, the conditions imposed for obtaining any necessary approvals could delay the completion of such transactions for a significant period of time or prevent them from occurring at all. We may not be able to complete such transactions, and such transactions, if executed, pose significant risks and could have a negative effect on our operations. Any transactions that we are able to identify and complete may involve a number of risks, including, but not limited to:
● the risks associated with developing and constructing new satellites;
● the diversion of management’s attention from our existing business onto a strategic initiative;
● the possible adverse effects on our and our targets’ and partners’ business, financial condition or operating results during the integration process;
● the high degree of risk inherent in these transactions, which could become substantial over time, and higher exposure to significant financial losses if the underlying ventures are not successful on an acceptable timeline or at all;
● the possible inability to achieve the intended objectives of the transaction;
● the risks associated with complying with contractual provisions and regulations applicable to the acquired business, which may cause us to incur substantial expenses;
● the disruption of relationships with employees, vendors or customers; and
● the risks associated with foreign and international operations and/or investments or dispositions.
In addition, we may not be able to successfully or profitably integrate, operate, maintain and manage our newly acquired operations or employees on an acceptable timeline or at all. We may not be able to maintain uniform standards, controls, procedures and policies, and this may lead to, among other things, operational inefficiencies. In addition, the integration process may strain our financial and managerial controls and reporting systems and procedures.
New acquisitions, joint ventures and other transactions may require the commitment of significant capital that would otherwise be directed to investments in our existing business. To pursue acquisitions and other strategic transactions, we may need to raise additional capital in the future, which may not be available on favorable terms or at all.
In addition to committing capital to complete the acquisitions, substantial capital may be required to operate the acquired businesses following their acquisition. These acquisitions may result in significant financial losses if the intended objectives of the transactions are not achieved. Some of the businesses that we have acquired have experienced significant operating and financial challenges in their recent history, which in some cases resulted in these businesses commencing bankruptcy proceedings prior to our acquisition. We may acquire similar businesses in the future.
There is no assurance that we will be able to successfully address the challenges and risks encountered by these businesses following their acquisition. If we are unable to successfully address these challenges and risks, our business, financial condition and/or results of operations may suffer.
We may need additional capital, which may not be available on favorable terms or at all, to fund current obligations, continue investing in our business and to finance acquisitions and other strategic transactions.
Weakness in the equity markets could make it difficult for us to raise equity financing without incurring substantial dilution to our existing shareholders. Adverse changes in the credit markets including, but not limited to, rising interest rates and macro-economic conditions, could increase our borrowing costs and/or make it more difficult for us to obtain financing for our operations or for us to refinance existing indebtedness on favorable terms.
Continued or prolonged higher interest rates could increase our cost of capital and require us to devote a higher percentage of our cash flow to interest payments, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial results.
In addition, economic weakness, weak results of operations or other factors may limit our ability to, among other things, generate sufficient internal cash to fund investments, capital expenditures, acquisitions and other strategic transactions, as well as to fund ongoing operations and service our debt. We may be unable to generate cash flows from operating activities sufficient to pay the principal, premium, if any, and interest on our debt and other obligations. If we are unable to service our debt and other obligations from cash flows from operating activities, we may need to refinance or restructure all or a portion of such obligations prior to maturity.
Any refinancing or restructuring could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and/or financial condition. In addition, we cannot guarantee that any refinancing or restructuring would sufficiently meet any debt or other obligations then due. If we do not pay interest or otherwise fulfill our debt obligations when due, our business, cash flows, results of operations and financial condition would be materially adversely impacted.
Furthermore, our borrowing costs can be affected by short and long-term debt ratings assigned by independent rating agencies, which are based, in significant part, on, among other factors, our performance as measured by their credit metrics. A decrease in these ratings would likely increase our cost of borrowing and/or make it more difficult for us to obtain financing.
A severe disruption in the global financial markets could impact some of the financial institutions with which we do business, and such instability could also affect our access to financing. As a result, these conditions could make it difficult for us to accurately forecast and plan future business activities because we may not have access to funding sources necessary for us to pursue organic and strategic business development opportunities.
The conditional conversion features of our convertible notes, if triggered, may adversely affect our financial condition.
In the event the conditional conversion features of the convertible Notes are triggered, holders of these instruments will be entitled to convert their convertible notes at any time during specified periods at their option. If one or more holders elect to convert their convertible notes, unless we elect to satisfy our conversion obligation by delivering solely shares of our Class A common stock, we would be required to make cash payments to satisfy all or a portion of our conversion obligation based on the conversion rate, which could adversely affect our liquidity.
In addition, even if holders do not elect to convert their convertible notes, we could be required under applicable accounting rules to reclassify all or a portion of the outstanding principal of the convertible notes as a current rather than long-term liability, which could result in a material reduction of our net working capital.
From time to time a portion of our investment portfolio may be invested in securities that have limited liquidity and may not be immediately accessible to support our financing needs.
From time to time a portion of our investment portfolio may be invested in strategic investments, and as a result, a portion of our portfolio may have restricted liquidity. If the credit ratings of these securities deteriorate or there is a lack of liquidity in the marketplace, we may be required to record impairment charges. Moreover, the uncertainty of domestic and global financial markets can greatly affect the volatility and value of our marketable investment securities. In addition, a portion of our investment portfolio may include strategic and financial investments in debt and equity securities of public companies that are highly speculative and that may experience volatility. Typically, these investments are concentrated in a small number of companies.
The fair value of these investments can be significantly impacted by the risk of adverse changes in securities markets generally, as well as risks related to the performance of the companies whose securities we have invested in, risks associated with specific industries and other factors. These investments are subject to significant fluctuations in fair value due to the volatility of the securities markets and of the underlying businesses. The concentration of these investments as a percentage of our overall investment portfolio fluctuates from time to time based on, among other things, the size of our investment portfolio and our ability to liquidate these investments.
In addition, because our portfolio may be concentrated in a limited number of companies, we may experience a significant loss if any of these companies, among other things, defaults on its obligations, performs poorly, does not generate adequate cash flow to fund its operations, is unable to obtain necessary financing on acceptable terms, or at all, or files for bankruptcy, or if the sectors in which these companies operate experience a market downturn. To the extent we require access to funds, we may need to sell these securities under unfavorable market conditions, record impairment charges and fall short of our financing needs.
Covenants in our and our subsidiaries’ Indentures restrict our business in many ways.
There are restrictive covenants in our and our subsidiaries’ Indentures that restrict us and our subsidiaries (as applicable), under certain circumstances, from taking certain actions such as, among other things:
● incur or guarantee additional debt;
● allow to exist certain restrictions on certain subsidiaries’ ability to pay dividends, make distributions, make other payments or transfer assets;
● restrict our ability to make investments or make other payments in respect of our equity securities or our other indebtedness;
● limit our ability to incur indebtedness that is senior to, equal or subordinate to certain Indebtedness, or to engage in certain sale/leaseback transactions;
● enter into certain transactions with affiliates;
● merge or consolidate with another company;
● restrict our ability to repurchase or prepay any other of our securities or other indebtedness;
● restrict our ability to enter into highly leveraged transactions;
● incur liens; and
● restrict guarantors’ ability to engage in new activities.
Our ability to, among other things, recapitalize, incur additional debt, secure existing or future debt or take a number of other actions may be limited by the terms of our Indentures, business and tax considerations and legal restrictions, including, but not limited to, repurchasing indebtedness or capital stock or paying dividends and could have the effect of diminishing our ability to make payments on our outstanding Indebtedness when due.
Risks Related to the Regulation of Our Business
Our services depend on FCC licenses that can expire or be revoked or modified and applications for FCC licenses that may not be granted.
If the FCC were to cancel, revoke, suspend, restrict, significantly condition, or fail to renew any of our licenses or authorizations, or fail to grant our applications for FCC licenses that we may file from time to time, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. As an example, a loss of a frequency authorization would reduce the amount of spectrum available to us, potentially reducing the amount of DISH TV, Wireless and/or Broadband and Satellite Services offerings available to our subscribers. The materiality of such a loss of authorizations would vary based upon, among other things, the location of the frequency used or the availability of replacement spectrum.
In addition, Congress and other Administrative and Regulatory agencies often consider and enact legislation that affects us and FCC proceedings to implement the Communications Act and enforce its regulations are ongoing. We cannot predict the outcomes of these legislative or regulatory proceedings or their effect on our business.
Wireless services and our Wireless spectrum licenses are subject to regulation by the FCC and, depending on the jurisdiction, other federal, state and local, as well as international, governmental authorities and regulatory agencies, including, among other things, regulations governing the licensing, construction, operation, sale and interconnection arrangements of wireless telecommunications systems. In particular, the FCC imposes significant regulation on licensees of wireless spectrum with respect to, among others, how radio spectrum is used by licensees, the nature of the services that licensees may offer and how the services may be offered, and resolution of issues of interference between spectrum bands. The FCC grants wireless licenses for terms of generally 10-12 years that are subject to renewal or revocation.
There can be no assurances that our Wireless spectrum licenses will be renewed. Failure to comply with FCC build-out requirements in a given license area may result in acceleration of other build-out requirements or in the modification, cancellation, or non-renewal of licenses. See Note 15 in the Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further information.
The risk of non-compliance with laws and regulations, including, but not limited to, the risk of changes to laws and regulations, could adversely affect our business.
Our business is regulated by numerous governmental agencies and other regulatory bodies, both domestically and internationally. Also, our international operations are subject to the laws and regulations of many different jurisdictions that may differ significantly from U.S. laws and regulations. Violations of these laws and regulations could result in fines or penalties or other sanctions which could have a material adverse impact on our business. Additionally, our ability to operate and grow our business depends on laws and regulations that govern the frequency bands and/or orbital locations we operate in or may operate in in the future.
These laws and regulations are subject to the administrative and political process and do change from time to time. We may be affected by changes to government leadership and policy changes resulting from new leaders. We have been subject to such changes in the past and may be subject to such changes in the future and those changes may negatively impact us, including but not limited to, the addition of new regulations, the modification or rescission of past regulations which may be favorable and the increase or decrease of government programs which us or our subscribers may be recipients. Our business could suffer a material adverse impact if laws and regulations change and we are not able to adapt to these changes efficiently.
Additionally, we are subject to emerging and evolving regulatory requirements and frameworks regarding environmental, social and governance matters, including, but not limited to, potential new or revised disclosure rules proposed by the SEC and recently enacted or proposed legislation in jurisdictions such as California. The ultimate scope of these regulations may change as they are finalized, and they may not be uniform across jurisdictions. Meeting these obligations may require significant investments of time, capital and personnel.
If our internal controls are not effective, our business, our stock price and investor confidence in our financial results may be adversely affected.
We periodically evaluate and test our internal control over financial reporting to satisfy the requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Our management has concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2024. We depend on our third-party vendors’ internal controls and rely on these controls when evaluating the effectiveness of our internal controls. If in the future we are unable to report that our internal control over financial reporting is effective (or if our auditors do not agree with our assessment of the effectiveness of, or are unable to express an opinion on, our internal control over financial reporting), investors, subscribers and business partners could lose confidence in the accuracy of our financial reports, which could in turn have a material adverse effect on our business.
Risks Related to Ownership of our Common Stock
We are controlled by one principal stockholder who is our Chairman.
Charles W. Ergen, our Chairman, beneficially owns approximately 51.7% of our total equity securities (assuming conversion of the Class B common stock beneficially owned by Mr. Ergen into Class A common stock and giving effect to the exercise of options held by Mr. Ergen that are either currently exercisable as of, or may become exercisable within 60 days) and beneficially owns approximately 90.6% of the total voting power of all classes of shares (assuming no conversion of any Class B common stock and giving effect to the exercise of options held by Mr. Ergen that are either currently exercisable as of, or may become exercisable within 60 days). Through his beneficial ownership of our equity securities, Mr. Ergen has the ability to elect a majority of our directors and to control all other matters requiring the approval of our stockholders. As a result of Mr. Ergen’s voting power, we are a “controlled company” as defined in the NASDAQ listing rules and, therefore, are not subject to NASDAQ requirements that would otherwise require us to have (i) a majority of independent directors; (ii) a nominating committee composed solely of independent directors; (iii) compensation of our executive officers determined by a majority of the independent directors or a compensation committee composed solely of independent directors; (iv) a compensation committee charter which provides the compensation committee with the authority and funding to retain compensation consultants and other advisors; and/or (v) director nominees selected, or recommended for the Board of Directors selection, either by a majority of the independent directors or a nominating committee composed solely of independent directors.
Pursuant to the Amended Support Agreement (which was signed as part of the Merger), Mr. Ergen and the other Ergen Stockholders have agreed not to vote, or cause or direct to be voted, the shares of EchoStar Class A Common Stock owned by them, other than with respect to any matter presented to the holders of EchoStar Class A Common Stock on which holders of EchoStar Class B Common Stock are not entitled to vote, for three years following the closing of the Merger. As a result, Mr. Ergen’s effective total voting power is approximately 89.6%.
It may be difficult for a third-party to acquire us, even if doing so may be beneficial to our shareholders, because of our capital structure.
Certain provisions of our articles of incorporation and bylaws may discourage, delay or prevent a change in control of our Company that a shareholder may consider favorable. These provisions include the following:
● a capital structure with multiple classes of common stock: a Class A that entitles the holders to one vote per share; a Class B that entitles the holders to ten votes per share; a Class C that entitles the holders to one vote per share, except upon a change in control of our company in which case the holders of Class C are entitled to ten votes per share; and a non-voting Class D;
● a provision that authorizes the issuance of “blank check” preferred stock, which could be issued by our Board of Directors to increase the number of outstanding shares and thwart a takeover attempt;
● a provision limiting who may call special meetings of shareholders; and
● a provision establishing advance notice requirements for nominations of candidates for election to our Board of Directors or for proposing matters that can be acted upon by shareholders at shareholder meetings.
As discussed above, Mr. Ergen beneficially owns approximately 51.7% of our total equity securities and approximately 90.6% of the total voting power of all classes of shares and such ownership may make it impractical for any third-party to obtain control of us.
In addition, pursuant to our articles of incorporation we have a significant amount of authorized and unissued stock that would allow our Board of Directors to issue shares to persons friendly to current management, thereby protecting the continuity of management, or which could be used to dilute the stock ownership of persons seeking to obtain control of us.
Future issuances of our Class A common stock and hedging activities may depress the trading price of our Class A common stock.
Any issuance of equity securities, including the issuance of shares of Class A common stock upon conversion of our convertible notes, could dilute the interests of our existing stockholders, and could substantially decrease the trading price of our Class A common stock. We may issue equity securities in the future for a number of reasons, including to finance our operations and business strategy (including in connection with acquisitions, strategic collaborations or other transactions), to adjust our ratio of debt to equity, to satisfy our obligations upon the exercise of outstanding warrants or options or for other reasons. A substantial number of shares of our Class A common stock is reserved for issuance upon the exercise of stock options and settlement of restricted share units and stock units. In addition, the price of our Class A common stock could also be affected by possible sales of our Class A common stock, including sales by investors who view our convertible notes as a more attractive means of equity participation in our company and by hedging or arbitrage trading activity that we expect to develop involving our Class A common stock.
Our Class A common stock price and trading volume has been and may continue to be volatile or may decline regardless of our operating performance, which could cause purchasers of our Class A common stock to incur substantial losses.
Volatility in the market price of our Class A common stock may prevent you from being able to sell your shares at or above the price you paid for them. The market price of our Class A common stock has fluctuated, and may continue to fluctuate widely due to many factors, some of which may be beyond our control. Many factors may cause the market price of our Class A common stock to fluctuate significantly, including those described elsewhere in this “Risk Factors” section as well as the following:
● pandemics, crises or disasters;
● our operating and financial performance and prospects; our quarterly or annual earnings or those of other companies in our industry compared to market expectations; future announcements or press coverage concerning our business or our competitors’ businesses;
● •the public’s reaction to our press releases, other public announcements and filings with the SEC;
● •the size of our public float;
● •coverage by or changes in financial estimates by securities analysts or failure to meet their expectations;
● •market and industry perception of our success, or lack thereof, in pursuing our business strategies;
● •strategic actions by us or our competitors, such as acquisitions or restructurings;
● •changes in laws or regulations which adversely affect our industry or us;
● •changes in accounting standards, policies, guidance, interpretations or principles;
● •changes in senior management or key personnel;
● •issuances, exchanges or sales, or expected issuances, exchanges or sales of our capital stock or other securities;
● •adverse resolution of new or pending litigation against us; and
● •changes in general market, economic and political conditions in the United States and global economies or financial markets, including, but not limited to, those resulting from natural disasters, terrorist attacks, acts of war and responses to such events.
As a result, volatility in the market price and trading volume of our Class A common stock may prevent investors from being able to sell their shares of Class A common stock at or above their purchase price, or at all. These fluctuations may be unrelated or disproportionate to our operating performance or prospects and may materially reduce the market price of our Class A common stock. If the market price of our Class A common stock experiences significant volatility, including substantial decreases, you could incur a substantial or complete loss on your investment.
General Risks
Sociopolitical volatility and polarization may adversely affect our business operations and reputation.
The current sociopolitical environment is characterized by deep complexity, volatility and polarization on various social and political issues. The increasing intersection of technology and politics has led to rapid and unpredictable shifts in public sentiment. Social media and digital platforms have amplified the voices of various stakeholders, creating the potential for swift change in public opinion and stronger reactions to corporate actions. As a company that sells products and services across the nation to millions of customers, these dynamics increase the risk of negative government and customer reactions, including, but not limited to, potential reputational damage, boycotts and shifts in consumer behavior that could adversely affect our brand, sales and profitability. Our ability to respond effectively, sensitively and authentically to the expectations and concerns of our customers, employees and other stakeholders is key to mitigating these risks. If we are unable to manage these challenges effectively, there may be adverse impacts to our business, reputation, financial condition and operating results.
Our articles of incorporation designate the Eighth Judicial District Court of Clark County of the State of Nevada as the sole and exclusive forum for certain types of actions and proceedings that may be initiated by our stockholders, which could limit our stockholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers, employees or agents.
Any person purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in any shares of our capital stock shall be deemed to have notice of and to have consented to this provision of our articles of incorporation. This choice of forum provision may limit our stockholders’ ability to bring certain claims, including, but not limited to, claims against our directors, officers or employees, in a judicial forum that the stockholder finds favorable and therefore the choice of forum provision may discourage lawsuits or increase costs with respect to such claims.
We may face other risks described from time to time in periodic and current reports we file with the SEC.

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ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
Item 1B.UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
None.

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ITEM 2. PROPERTIES
Item 2.PROPERTIES
The following table sets forth certain information concerning our principal properties related to our business segments.
Segment(s)
Using Property
Owned
Leased
Corporate headquarters, Englewood, Colorado
All
X
General offices, Littleton, Colorado
Wireless
X
General offices, engineering offices, network and manufacturing operations and shared hubs, Germantown, Maryland
Broadband and Satellite Services
X
General offices and warehouse, Griesheim, Germany
Broadband and Satellite Services
X
Customer call center, warehouse, service, and remanufacturing center, El Paso, Texas
Pay-TV
X
Data center, gateways, equipment and operations, Cheyenne, Wyoming
All
X
Digital broadcast operations center, Cheyenne, Wyoming
Pay-TV
X
Digital broadcast operations center and gateways, Gilbert, Arizona
Pay-TV/Broadband and Satellite Services
X
Engineering offices and service center, Englewood, Colorado
Pay-TV
X
Warehouse, Denver, Colorado
Pay-TV
X
Warehouse and distribution center, Spartanburg, South Carolina
Pay-TV/Wireless
X
Warehouse and distribution center, Denver, Colorado
Pay-TV/Wireless
X
Warehouse and distribution center, Atlanta, Georgia
Pay-TV/Wireless
X
In addition to the principal properties listed above, we operate numerous facilities for, among other things, our in-home service operations, customer call centers, digital broadcast operations centers strategically located in regions throughout the United States, manufacturing and testing facilities, shared hubs, regional network management centers and backup network operation and control centers. We also have several general offices in foreign countries. Furthermore, our Pay-TV segment owns or leases capacity on nine satellites, which are a major component of our DISH TV services and our Broadband and Satellite Services segment currently owns or leases capacity on nine satellites, which are a major component of the Broadband and Satellite Services segment. See Note 8 in the Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further information.

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ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
Item 3.LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
See Note 15 in the Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for information regarding certain legal proceedings in which we are involved.

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ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURE
Item 4.MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES
Not applicable.
PART II

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ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT'S COMMON EQUITY
Item 5.
MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES
Market Information
Our Class A common stock is quoted on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “SATS.” As of February 20, 2025, there were approximately 8,441 holders of record of our Class A common stock, not including stockholders who beneficially own Class A common stock held in nominee or street name. As of February 20, 2025, all of the 131,348,468 outstanding shares of our Class B common stock were beneficially held by Charles W. Ergen, our Chairman, and by certain entities established by Mr. Ergen for the benefit of his family. There is currently no trading market for our Class B common stock.
Dividends
We have not paid any cash dividends on our common stock in the past two years. We currently do not intend to declare dividends on our common stock. Payment of any future dividends will depend upon our earnings, capital requirements, contractual restrictions and other factors the Board of Directors considers appropriate. Our ability to declare dividends is affected by the covenants in our and our subsidiaries’ indentures. See Note 10 in the Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further information.
Securities Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans
See “Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Purchases of Equity Securities by the Issuer and Affiliated Purchasers
Exchange Offer
On March 4, 2024, we commenced a tender offer to eligible employees (which excludes our co-founders and the non-employee members of our Board of Directors) to exchange eligible stock options (which excludes the Ergen 2020 Performance Award) for new options as detailed in our Schedule TO filed March 4, 2024 with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Exchange Offer”), to, among other things, further align employee incentives with the current market. The Exchange Offer expired on April 1, 2024 and we accepted for exchange approximately 7 million stock options. As a result of the Exchange Offer, during the second quarter of 2024, the exercise price of approximately 6 million new stock options, affecting approximately 1,000 eligible employees, was adjusted to $14.04.
The new stock options were offered in reliance of the exemption from registration under Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. For details on the terms of the new options, see Item 4 of our Schedule TO Tender Offer Statement dated March 4, 2024 and filed with the SEC on March 4, 2024.
PIPE Shares
On September 30, 2024, we entered into subscription agreements with certain accredited investors including CONX (the “PIPE Investors” and the subscription agreements, the “Subscription Agreements”), pursuant to which the PIPE Investors agreed to purchase an aggregate of 14.265 million shares (the “PIPE Shares”) of our Class A Common Stock at a purchase price of $28.04 per share, for an aggregate cash purchase price of approximately $400 million (such investment, the “PIPE Investment”). The portion of the PIPE Investment represented by the CONX Subscription Agreement represented an agreement to purchase from us an aggregate of 1.551 million shares of our Class A Common Stock for an aggregate cash purchase price of approximately $43.5 million. The PIPE Shares were issued and settled on November 12, 2024.
The PIPE Shares will not be registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), in reliance on the exemption from registration provided by Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act and/or Regulation D promulgated thereunder. We relied on this exemption from registration based in part on representations made by the PIPE Investors.
Stock Repurchase Program
The following table provides information regarding purchases of our Class A common stock made by us for the period from October 1, 2024 through December 31, 2024.
Total Number of
Maximum Approximate
Total
Shares Purchased
Dollar Value of Shares
Number of
Average
as Part of Publicly
that May Yet be
Shares
Price Paid
Announced
Purchased Under the
Period
Purchased
per Share
Programs
Programs (1)
(In thousands, except share data)
October 1, 2024 - October 31, 2024
-
$
-
-
$
1,000,000
November 1, 2024 - November 30, 2024
-
$
-
-
$
1,000,000
December 1, 2024 - December 31, 2024
-
$
-
-
$
1,000,000
Total
-
$
-
-
$
1,000,000
(1) On October 25, 2024, our Board of Directors authorized stock repurchases of up to $1.0 billion of our outstanding Class A common stock through and including December 31, 2025. Purchases under our repurchase program may be made through open market purchases, privately negotiated transactions, or Rule 10b5-1 trading plans, subject to market conditions and other factors. We may elect not to purchase the maximum amount of shares allowable under this program and we may also enter into additional share repurchase programs authorized by our Board of Directors.

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ITEM 6. SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA
Item 6.[RESERVED]

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ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
Item 7.
MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
You should read the following management’s discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations together with the audited consolidated financial statements and notes to our financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. This management’s discussion and analysis is intended to help provide an understanding of our financial condition, changes in financial condition and results of our operations and contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. The forward-looking statements are not historical facts, but rather are based on current expectations, estimates, assumptions and projections about our industry, business and future financial results. Our actual results could differ materially from the results contemplated by these forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including those discussed under the caption “Item 1A. Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Furthermore, such forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K and we expressly disclaim any obligation to update any forward-looking statements.
Overview
Recent Developments
DIRECTV Transaction
On September 29, 2024, we and DTV entered into the Purchase Agreement. Pursuant to the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Purchase Agreement, DTV agreed to acquire from us all of the issued and outstanding equity interests of DISH DBS, which operates our Pay-TV business.
Following written notice from DTV received on November 20, 2024, DTV terminated the Purchase Agreement effective at 11:59 pm ET on November 22, 2024 pursuant to Section 7.01(a)(iv) of the Purchase Agreement because the DISH DBS Exchange Offers were not consummated by the Exchange Offer Settlement Date (as defined in the Purchase Agreement). No termination fee or other payment was due from either party to the other as a result of the termination of the Purchase Agreement.
Segments
We currently operate three primary business segments: (1) Pay-TV; (2) Wireless; and (3) Broadband and Satellite Services. Historically, we reported four primary business segments: (1) Pay-TV; (2) Retail Wireless; (3) 5G Network Deployment; and (4) Broadband and Satellite Services. See Note 16 in the Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further information.
Our Pay-TV segment business strategy is to be the best provider of video services in the United States by providing products with the best technology, outstanding customer service and great value. We offer Pay-TV services under the DISH® brand and the SLING® brand. We promote our Pay-TV services by providing our subscribers with a better “price-to-value” relationship and experience than those available from other subscription television service providers. We market our SLING TV services to consumers who do not subscribe to traditional satellite and cable pay-TV services, as well as to current and recent traditional pay-TV subscribers who desire a lower cost alternative.
Our Wireless segment provides Wireless communication services and products. We currently offer our Wireless services for 5G VoNR to over 220 million Americans and for 5G broadband service to over 268 million Americans, as well as a competitive portfolio of wireless devices. We offer customers value by providing choice and flexibility in our Wireless services. We offer competitive consumer plans with no annual service contracts and device financing arrangements for certain qualified subscribers.
Our Wireless segment business strategy is to expand our current target segments and profitably grow our Wireless subscriber base and commercialize and grow customer traffic on our 5G Network. We intend to grow our Wireless subscriber base by acquiring and retaining high quality subscribers with competitive offers, choice and outstanding customer service that better meet those subscribers’ needs and budget.
We are currently operating primarily as an MVNO as we continue our 5G Network Deployment and commercialize and grow customer traffic on our 5G Network. We are transitioning to an MNO as our 5G Network has become commercially available and we grow customer traffic on our 5G Network. We are currently activating Boost Mobile subscribers with compatible devices onto our 5G Network in markets where we have reached VoNR. We currently offer a broad range of premium wireless devices on our 5G Network, including the Apple iPhone 15 and newer generation iPhones. We have deployed 5G VoNR covering over 220 million Americans. Within our MVNO operations, today we depend in part on T-Mobile and AT&T to provide us with network services under the MNSA and NSA, respectively.
As part of the commercialization of our Wireless spectrum licenses through the completion of our 5G Network Deployment, we have committed to the FCC to deploy our 5G Network capable of serving increasingly larger portions of the U.S. population at different deadlines.
On September 29, 2023, the FCC confirmed we met all of our June 14, 2023 band-specific 5G deployment commitments, and two of our three nationwide 5G commitments. The single remaining 5G commitment, that at least 70% of the U.S. population has access to average download speeds equal to 35 Mbps, was achieved in March 2024 using the drive test methodology previously agreed upon by us and the FCC and overseen by an independent monitor.
In September 2024, the FCC conditionally granted our requests to extend the 5G deployment deadlines for certain of our Wireless spectrum licenses based on several commitments and in a January 10, 2025 filing to the FCC, we certified to meeting the accelerated buildout (Commitments #2 and #3 of the Extension Request) and the nationwide 80% coverage obligations (Commitment #1 of the Extension Request) due by December 31, 2024. Thus, pursuant to the Extension Request, the final deployment deadlines for the licenses subject to the Extension Request (listed in Appendix G) shall be extended to December 14, 2026. In addition, the final deployment deadlines for the licenses subject to the Extension Request (listed in Appendix G) shall be further extended to June 14, 2028 as long as we satisfy the remaining Extension Request commitments. See Note 15 in the Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for definitions and further details.
Our Broadband and Satellite Services segment business strategy is to maintain and improve our leadership position and competitive advantage through development of leading-edge technologies and services marketed to selected sectors within the consumer, enterprise and government markets globally. Within our Broadband and Satellite Services segment we are an industry leader in both networking technologies and services, innovating to deliver the global solutions that power a connected future for people, enterprises and things everywhere. We provide broadband services to consumer customers, which include home and small to medium-sized businesses, and satellite, multi-transport technologies and managed network services to enterprise customers, telecommunications providers, airlines and government entities, including civilian and defense. Our EchoStar XXIV satellite began service in December 2023, bringing additional broadband capacity across North and South America and is an integral part of our satellite services business. We have leveraged the EchoStar XXIV to deliver satellite services to unserved and underserved consumer markets in the Americas as well as enterprise, aeronautical and government markets.
Economic Environment
During 2023 and 2024, we experienced inflationary pressures in our commodity and labor costs resulting from the macroeconomic environment in the United States, which has significantly impacted our overall operating results.
EXPLANATION OF KEY METRICS AND OTHER ITEMS
Service revenue. “Service revenue” consists principally of Pay-TV and Wireless subscriber revenue, broadband services, maintenance and other contracted revenue and satellite and transponder leases and services revenue. Certain of the amounts included in “Service revenue” are not recurring on a monthly basis.
Equipment sales and other revenue. “Equipment sales and other revenue” principally includes the sale of wireless devices, the non-subsidized sales of Pay-TV equipment, the licensing of certain intellectual property and sales of broadband equipment and networks sold both in our consumer and enterprise markets.
Cost of services. “Cost of services” principally includes Pay-TV programming expenses and other operating costs related to our Pay-TV segment, costs of Wireless services (including costs incurred under the MNSA and NSA), costs of broadband services, maintenance and other contracted services, and costs associated with satellite and transponder leases and services. Beginning on January 1, 2024, “Cost of services” includes certain direct costs related to our 5G Network Deployment, including lease expense on communication towers, transport, cloud services and other costs as a significant portion of our 5G Network was placed into service.
Cost of sales - equipment and other. “Cost of sales - equipment and other” principally includes the cost of wireless devices and other related items, the cost of broadband equipment and networks, as well as costs related to the non-subsidized sales of Pay-TV equipment. Costs are generally recognized as products are delivered to customers and the related revenue is recognized. In addition, prior to January 1, 2024, “Cost of sales - equipment and other” included certain direct costs related to our 5G Network Deployment, including lease expense on communication towers, transport, cloud services and other costs, which is now included in “Cost of services” on our Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss).
Selling, general and administrative expenses. “Selling, general and administrative expenses” consists primarily of direct sales costs, advertising and selling costs, third-party commissions related to the acquisition of subscribers and employee-related costs associated with administrative services such as legal, information systems, and accounting and finance. In addition, “Selling, general and administrative expenses” includes costs related to the installation of equipment for our new Pay-TV subscribers and the cost of subsidized sales of Pay-TV equipment for new subscribers.
Impairment of long-lived assets and goodwill. “Impairment of long-lived assets and goodwill” includes our impairment losses related to our property and equipment, regulatory authorizations, goodwill and other intangible assets.
Interest expense, net of amounts capitalized. “Interest expense, net of amounts capitalized” primarily includes interest expense associated with our long-term debt (net of capitalized interest), prepayment premiums, amortization of debt discounts and debt issuance costs associated with our long-term debt, and interest expense associated with our finance lease obligations.
Other, net. The main components of “Other, net” are gains and losses realized on the sale and/or conversion of marketable and non-marketable investment securities and derivative instruments, impairment of marketable and non-marketable investment securities, unrealized gains and losses from changes in fair value of certain marketable and non-marketable investment securities and derivative instruments, foreign currency transaction gains and losses, debt extinguishment gains and losses, and equity in earnings and losses of our affiliates.
Operating income before depreciation and amortization (“OIBDA”). OIBDA is defined as “Operating income (loss)” plus “Depreciation and amortization.” This “non-GAAP measure” is reconciled to “Operating income (loss)” in our discussion of “Results of Operations” below.
DISH TV subscribers. We include customers obtained through direct sales, independent third-party retailers and other independent third-party distribution relationships in our DISH TV subscriber count. We also provide DISH TV services to hotels, motels and other commercial accounts. For certain of these commercial accounts, we divide our total revenue for these commercial accounts by $34.99, and include the resulting number, which is substantially smaller than the actual number of commercial units served, in our DISH TV subscriber count.
SLING TV subscribers. We include customers obtained through direct sales and third-party marketing agreements in our SLING TV subscriber count. SLING TV subscriber additions are recorded net of disconnects. SLING TV customers receiving SLING TV Freestream service, or service for no charge, under certain new subscriber promotions, are excluded from our SLING TV subscriber count. For customers who subscribe to multiple SLING TV packages, each customer is only counted as one SLING TV subscriber.
Pay-TV subscribers. Our Pay-TV subscriber count includes all DISH TV and SLING TV subscribers discussed above. For customers who subscribe to both our DISH TV services and our SLING TV services, each subscription is counted as a separate Pay-TV subscriber.
Pay-TV average monthly revenue per subscriber (“Pay-TV ARPU”). We are not aware of any uniform standards for calculating ARPU and believe presentations of ARPU may not be calculated consistently by other companies in the same or similar businesses. We calculate Pay-TV average monthly revenue per Pay-TV subscriber, or Pay-TV ARPU, by dividing average monthly Pay-TV segment “Service revenue,” excluding revenue from broadband services, for the period by our average number of Pay-TV subscribers for the period. The average number of Pay-TV subscribers is calculated for the period by adding the average number of Pay-TV subscribers for each month and dividing by the number of months in the period. The average number of Pay-TV subscribers for each month is calculated by adding the beginning and ending Pay-TV subscribers for the month and dividing by two. SLING TV subscribers on average purchase lower priced programming services than DISH TV subscribers, and therefore, as SLING TV subscribers increase as a percentage of total Pay-TV subscribers, it has had a negative impact on Pay-TV ARPU.
DISH TV average monthly subscriber churn rate (“DISH TV churn rate”). We are not aware of any uniform standards for calculating subscriber churn rate and believe presentations of subscriber churn rates may not be calculated consistently by different companies in the same or similar businesses. We calculate our DISH TV churn rate for any period by dividing the number of DISH TV subscribers who terminated service during the period by the average number of DISH TV subscribers for the same period, and further dividing by the number of months in the period. The average number of DISH TV subscribers is calculated for the period by adding the average number of DISH TV subscribers for each month and dividing by the number of months in the period. The average number of DISH TV subscribers for each month is calculated by adding the beginning and ending DISH TV subscribers for the month and dividing by two.
DISH TV SAC. Subscriber acquisition cost measures are commonly used by those evaluating traditional companies in the pay-TV industry. We are not aware of any uniform standards for calculating the “average subscriber acquisition costs per new DISH TV subscriber activation,” or DISH TV SAC, and we believe presentations of pay-TV SAC may not be calculated consistently by different companies in the same or similar businesses. Our DISH TV SAC is calculated using all costs of acquiring DISH TV subscribers (e.g., subsidized equipment, advertising, installation, commissions and direct sales, etc.) which are included in “Selling, general and administrative expenses,” plus capitalized payments made under certain sales incentive programs and the value of equipment capitalized under our lease program for new DISH TV subscribers, divided by gross new DISH TV subscriber activations. We include all new DISH TV subscribers in our calculation, including DISH TV subscribers added with little or no subscriber acquisition costs.
Wireless subscribers. We include prepaid and postpaid customers obtained through direct sales, independent third-party retailers and other independent third-party distribution relationships in our Wireless subscriber count. Our Wireless subscriber count includes all Government subsidized subscribers discussed below. Our gross new Wireless subscriber activations exclude all Government subsidized subscribers as we record these subscribers net of disconnects, as discussed below.
Government subsidized wireless subscribers and other wireless subscribers (“Government subsidized subscribers”). Our Government subsidized subscribers have different subscriber economics than our core Wireless subscribers, including a significantly higher churn rate and lower subscriber acquisition costs. Therefore, our Government subsidized subscriber additions are recorded net of disconnects. Our Government subsidized subscriber count includes Wireless subscribers that participate in government subsidized programs, including the ACP program and Lifeline program, defined below, and other subscribers acquired under the Gen Mobile brand. The Affordable Connectivity Program (“ACP”) was a federal program offering broadband services and devices discounts to help low-income individuals that meet certain eligibility criteria. The ACP program funding concluded on June 1, 2024. The Lifeline Program is a federal program offering broadband services discounts to help low-income individuals that meet certain eligibility criteria. Certain states also offer a separate Lifeline program.
Wireless average monthly revenue per subscriber (“Wireless ARPU”). We are not aware of any uniform standards for calculating ARPU and believe presentations of ARPU may not be calculated consistently by other companies in the same or similar businesses. We calculate average monthly revenue per Wireless subscriber, or Wireless ARPU, by dividing average monthly Wireless subscriber revenue included in “Service revenue” for the period by our average number of Wireless subscribers for the period. The average number of Wireless subscribers is calculated for the period by adding the average number of Wireless subscribers for each month and dividing by the number of months in the period. The average number of Wireless subscribers for each month is calculated by adding the beginning and ending Wireless subscribers for the month and dividing by two.
Wireless average monthly subscriber churn rate (“Wireless churn rate”). We are not aware of any uniform standards for calculating subscriber churn rate and believe presentations of subscriber churn rates may not be calculated consistently by different companies in the same or similar businesses. We calculate our “Wireless churn rate” for any period by dividing the number of Wireless subscribers who terminated service during the period by the average number of Wireless subscribers for the same period, and further dividing by the number of months in the period. The average number of Wireless subscribers is calculated for the period by adding the average number of Wireless subscribers for each month and dividing by the number of months in the period. The average number of Wireless subscribers for each month is calculated by adding the beginning and ending Wireless subscribers for the month and dividing by two. Government subsidized subscriber additions are recorded net of disconnects and therefore excluded from our calculation of our Wireless churn rate.
Broadband subscribers. Subscribers include customers that subscribe to our HughesNet service, through retail, wholesale and small/medium enterprise service channels. Our Broadband subscriber count also includes ACP subscribers, as defined above.
Free cash flow. We define free cash flow as “Net cash flows from operating activities” less: (i) “Purchases of property and equipment” net of “Refunds and other receipts of purchases of property and equipment,” and (ii) “Capitalized interest related to Regulatory authorizations,” as shown on our Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows.
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS - Segments
Business Segments
We currently operate three primary business segments: (1) Pay-TV; (2) Wireless; and (3) Broadband and Satellite Services.
Revenue and operating income (loss) by segment are shown in the table below:
Year Ended December 31, 2024 Compared to the Year Ended December 31, 2023.
For the Years Ended December 31,
Variance
Amount
%
(In thousands)
Revenue:
Pay-TV
$
10,688,204
$
11,571,159
$
(882,955)
(7.6)
Wireless
3,607,983
3,732,160
(124,177)
(3.3)
Broadband and Satellite Services
1,575,788
1,755,559
(179,771)
(10.2)
Eliminations
(46,459)
(43,280)
(3,179)
(7.3)
Total revenue
$
15,825,516
$
17,015,598
$
(1,190,082)
(7.0)
Operating income (loss):
Pay-TV
$
2,647,954
$
2,699,810
$
(51,856)
(1.9)
Wireless
(2,831,906)
(2,524,553)
(307,353)
(12.2)
Broadband and Satellite Services
(117,901)
(458,609)
340,708
74.3
Eliminations
(2,217)
5,443
(7,660)
*
Total operating income (loss)
$
(304,070)
$
(277,909)
$
(26,161)
(9.4)
*
Percentage is not meaningful.
Total revenue. Our consolidated revenue totaled $15.826 billion for the year ended December 31, 2024, a decrease of $1.190 billion or 7.0% compared to the same period in 2023. The net decrease primarily resulted from the decrease in revenue from our Pay-TV, Broadband and Satellite Services, and Wireless segments.
Total operating income (loss). Our consolidated operating loss totaled $304 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, an increase in operating loss of $26 million compared to the same period in 2023. This change primarily resulted from an increase in operating loss from our Wireless segment, a decrease in operating income from our Pay-TV segment, and a decrease in operating loss from our Broadband and Satellite Services segment.
Year Ended December 31, 2023 Compared to the Year Ended December 31, 2022.
For the Years Ended December 31,
Variance
Amount
%
(In thousands)
Revenue:
Pay-TV
$
11,571,159
$
12,505,392
$
(934,233)
(7.5)
Wireless
3,732,160
4,180,018
(447,858)
(10.7)
Broadband and Satellite Services
1,755,559
1,998,093
(242,534)
(12.1)
Eliminations
(43,280)
(49,257)
5,977
12.1
Total revenue
$
17,015,598
$
18,634,246
$
(1,618,648)
(8.7)
Operating income (loss):
Pay-TV
$
2,699,810
$
2,933,898
$
(234,088)
(8.0)
Wireless
(2,524,553)
(888,232)
(1,636,321)
*
Broadband and Satellite Services
(458,609)
181,615
(640,224)
*
Eliminations
5,443
5,557
(114)
(2.1)
Total operating income (loss)
$
(277,909)
$
2,232,838
$
(2,510,747)
*
*
Percentage is not meaningful.
Total revenue. Our consolidated revenue totaled $17.016 billion for the year ended December 31, 2023, a decrease of $1.619 billion or 8.7% compared to the same period in 2022. The net decrease primarily resulted from the decrease in revenue from our Pay-TV, Wireless and Broadband and Satellite Services segments.
Total operating income (loss). Our consolidated operating loss totaled $278 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to income of $2.233 billion during the same period in 2022. The net decrease primarily resulted from an increase in operating loss from our Wireless segment and to a lesser extent decreases in operating income (loss) from our Broadband and Satellite Services and Pay-TV segments. The year ended December 31, 2023 was adversely impacted by impairments of goodwill of: (1) $533 million from our Broadband and Satellite Services segment; (2) $219 million from our Wireless segment; and (3) $6 million from our Pay-TV segment. See Note 2 in the Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further information.
Pay-TV Segment
We offer Pay-TV services under the DISH brand and the SLING brand. As of December 31, 2024, we had 7.778 million Pay-TV subscribers in the United States, including 5.686 million DISH TV subscribers and 2.092 million SLING TV subscribers.
We promote our Pay-TV services by providing our subscribers with better service, technology and value than those available from other subscription television service providers. We offer a wide selection of video services under the DISH TV brand, with access to hundreds of channels depending on the level of subscription. Our standard programming packages generally include programming provided by national cable networks. We also offer programming packages that include local broadcast networks, specialty sports channels, premium movie channels and Latino and international programming. We market our SLING TV services to consumers who do not subscribe to traditional satellite and cable pay-TV services, as well as to current and recent traditional pay-TV subscribers who desire a lower cost alternative. Our SLING TV services require an Internet connection and are available on multiple streaming-capable devices including, among others, streaming media devices, TVs, tablets, computers, game consoles and phones. We offer SLING domestic, SLING International, SLING Latino and SLING Freestream video programming services.
Trends in our Pay-TV Segment
Competition
Competition has intensified in recent years as the pay-TV industry has matured. We and our competitors increasingly must seek to attract a greater proportion of new subscribers from each other’s existing subscriber bases rather than from first-time purchasers of pay-TV services. We face substantial competition from established pay-TV providers and broadband service providers and increasing competition from companies providing/facilitating the delivery of video content via the Internet to computers, televisions and other streaming and mobile devices, including wireless service providers. In recent years, industry consolidation and convergence has created competitors with greater scale and multiple product/service offerings. These developments, among others, have contributed to intense and increasing competition, and we expect such competition to continue.
We incur significant costs to retain our existing DISH TV subscribers, generally as a result of upgrading their equipment to next generation receivers, primarily including our Hopper® receivers and by providing retention credits. Our DISH TV subscriber retention costs may vary significantly from period to period.
Many of our competitors have been especially aggressive by offering discounted programming and services for both new and existing subscribers, including, but not limited to, bundled offers combining broadband, video and/or wireless services and other promotional offers. Certain competitors have been able to subsidize the price of video services with the price of broadband and/or wireless services.
Our Pay-TV services also face increased competition from programmers and other companies who distribute video directly to consumers over the Internet, as well as traditional satellite television providers, cable companies and large telecommunications companies that are rapidly increasing their Internet-based video offerings and direct-to-consumer exclusive and non-exclusive content. We also face competition from providers of video content, many of which are providers of programming content to us, that distribute content over the Internet including services with live-linear television programming, as well as single programmer offerings and offerings of large libraries of on-demand content, including in certain cases original content. These product offerings include, but are not limited to: Netflix, Hulu, Apple+, Prime Video, YouTube TV, Disney+, ESPN+, Paramount+, Max, STARZ, Peacock, Fubo, Philo and Tubi and certain bundles of these offerings.
Significant changes in consumer behavior regarding the means by which consumers obtain video entertainment and information in response to digital media competition could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition or otherwise disrupt our business.
In particular, consumers have shown increased interest in viewing certain video programming in any place, at any time and/or on any broadband or Internet-connected device they choose. Online content providers may cause our subscribers to disconnect our DISH TV services (“cord cutting”), downgrade to smaller, less expensive programming packages (“cord shaving”) or elect to purchase through these online content providers a certain portion of the services that they would have historically purchased from us.
Mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and alliances among cable television providers, telecommunications companies, programming providers and others may result in, among other things, greater scale and financial leverage and increase the availability of offerings from providers capable of bundling video, broadband and/or wireless services in competition with our services and may exacerbate the risks described under the caption “Item 1A. Risk Factors” and elsewhere in our public filings. These transactions may affect us adversely by, among other things, making it more difficult for us to obtain access to certain programming networks on nondiscriminatory and fair terms, or at all.
Our Pay-TV subscriber base has been declining due to, among other things, the factors described above. There can be no assurance that our Pay-TV subscriber base will not continue to decline and that the pace of such decline will not accelerate. As our Pay-TV subscriber base continues to decline, it could have a material adverse long-term effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flow.
Programming
Our ability to compete successfully will depend, among other things, on our ability to continue to obtain desirable programming and deliver it to our subscribers at competitive prices. Programming costs represent a large percentage of our “Cost of services” and the largest component of our total expense. We expect these costs to continue to increase due to contractual price increases and the renewal of long-term programming contracts on less favorable pricing terms and certain programming costs are rising at a much faster rate than wages or inflation. In particular, the rates we are charged for retransmitting local broadcast channels have been increasing substantially and may exceed our ability to increase our prices to our subscribers. Our ability to provide services under these agreements and negotiate acceptable terms depends on, among other things, the number of subscribers we have, our actual, perceived or anticipated financial condition and our negotiating power against each programmer, which can vary depending on the size and scale of such programmer. Going forward, our margins may face pressure if we are unable to renew our long-term programming contracts on acceptable pricing and other economic terms or if we are unable to pass these increased programming costs on to our subscribers.
Increases in programming costs have caused us to increase the rates that we charge to our subscribers, which could in turn cause our existing Pay-TV subscribers to disconnect our services or cause potential new Pay-TV subscribers to choose not to subscribe to our services. Additionally, even if our subscribers do not disconnect our services, they may purchase through new and existing online content providers a certain portion of the services that they would have historically purchased from us.
Furthermore, our net Pay-TV subscriber additions, gross new DISH TV subscriber activations and DISH TV churn rate may be negatively impacted if we are unable to renew our long-term programming carriage contracts. In the past, our net Pay-TV subscriber additions, gross new DISH TV subscriber activations, and DISH TV churn rate have been negatively impacted as a result of programming interruptions and threatened programming interruptions in connection with the scheduled expiration of programming carriage contracts with content providers. There can be no assurance that the removal of any channels will not have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition or otherwise disrupt our business. We cannot predict with any certainty the impact to our net Pay-TV subscriber additions, gross new DISH TV subscriber activations and DISH TV churn rate resulting from programming interruptions or threatened programming interruptions that may occur in the future. As a result, we may at times suffer from periods of lower net Pay-TV subscriber additions or higher net Pay-TV subscriber losses.
Other Developments
Adaptive Bitrate Streaming Patents
Through our subsidiaries, we hold dozens of issued United States and foreign patents that relate to Adaptive Bitrate Streaming. On September 9, 2022, the chief administrative law judge at the United States International Trade Commission (“ITC”) issued an Initial Determination holding that the video streaming in certain Peloton, NordicTrack and Mirror exercise equipment infringes four of those patents, and recommended that the ITC prevent the importation of the infringing products. On March 8, 2023, the ITC issued its Final Determination, which affirmed the Initial Determination for three of the four patents in all material aspects, and issued the recommended exclusion and cease and desist orders, which will become effective after a Presidential review period. On February 9, 2023, we entered into a confidential license agreement covering Mirror exercise equipment that resolves our litigation involving those products. On May 1, 2023, we entered into a $75 million license agreement covering Peloton exercise equipment that resolves our litigation involving those products. During the year ended December 31, 2023, we recorded the $75 million license agreement in “Equipment sales and other revenue” on our Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss). On March 6, 2024, we entered into a license agreement covering NordicTrack exercise equipment that resolves our litigation involving those products and received the initial payment.
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS - Pay-TV Segment
Year Ended December 31, 2024 Compared to the Year Ended December 31, 2023.
For the Years Ended December 31,
Variance
Statements of Operations Data
Amount
%
(In thousands)
Revenue:
Service revenue
$
10,613,653
$
11,385,961
$
(772,308)
(6.8)
Equipment sales and other revenue
74,551
185,198
(110,647)
(59.7)
Total revenue
10,688,204
11,571,159
(882,955)
(7.6)
Costs and expenses:
Cost of services
6,546,506
6,977,628
(431,122)
(6.2)
% of Service revenue
61.7
%
61.3
%
Cost of sales - equipment and other
80,271
91,164
(10,893)
(11.9)
Selling, general and administrative expenses
1,076,142
1,414,808
(338,666)
(23.9)
% of Total revenue
10.1
%
12.2
%
Depreciation and amortization
337,331
381,292
(43,961)
(11.5)
Impairment of long-lived assets and goodwill
-
6,457
(6,457)
*
Total costs and expenses
8,040,250
8,871,349
(831,099)
(9.4)
Operating income (loss)
$
2,647,954
$
2,699,810
$
(51,856)
(1.9)
Other data:
Pay-TV subscribers, as of period end (in millions)
7.778
8.526
(0.748)
(8.8)
DISH TV subscribers, as of period end (in millions)
5.686
6.471
(0.785)
(12.1)
SLING TV subscribers, as of period end (in millions)
2.092
2.055
0.037
1.8
Pay-TV subscriber additions (losses), net (in millions)
(0.748)
(1.224)
0.476
38.9
DISH TV subscriber additions (losses), net (in millions)
(0.785)
(0.945)
0.160
16.9
SLING TV subscriber additions (losses), net (in millions)
0.037
(0.279)
0.316
*
Pay-TV ARPU
$
108.90
$
104.56
$
4.34
4.2
DISH TV subscriber additions, gross (in millions)
0.282
0.464
(0.182)
(39.2)
DISH TV churn rate
1.46
%
1.69
%
(0.23)
%
(13.6)
DISH TV SAC
$
$
1,118
$
(119)
(10.6)
Purchases of property and equipment, net of refunds **
$
218,473
$
242,736
$
(24,263)
(10.0)
OIBDA
$
2,985,285
$
3,081,102
$
(95,817)
(3.1)
*
Percentage is not meaningful.
**
Purchases of property and equipment, net of refunds includes satellite purchases during the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 of $121 million and $105 million, respectively.
Pay-TV Subscribers
DISH TV subscribers. We lost approximately 785,000 net DISH TV subscribers during the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to the loss of approximately 945,000 net DISH TV subscribers during the same period in 2023. This decrease in net DISH TV subscriber losses primarily resulted from a lower DISH TV churn rate, partially offset by lower gross new DISH TV subscriber activations.
SLING TV subscribers. We added approximately 37,000 net SLING TV subscribers during the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to the loss of approximately 279,000 net SLING TV subscribers during the same period in 2023. The change in net SLING TV subscribers was primarily related to lower SLING TV subscriber disconnects in 2024 due to our emphasis on acquiring higher quality subscribers, partially offset by lower SLING TV subscriber activations. We continue to experience increased competition, including competition from other subscription video on-demand and live-linear OTT service providers, many of which are providers of our content and offer football and other seasonal sports programming direct to subscribers on an a la carte basis.
DISH TV subscribers, gross. During the year ended December 31, 2024, we activated approximately 282,000 gross new DISH TV subscribers compared to approximately 464,000 gross new DISH TV subscribers during the same period in 2023, a decrease of 39.2%. This decrease in our gross new DISH TV subscriber activations was primarily related to lower marketing expenditures, the lack of demand and shifting consumer behavior, as well as increased competitive pressures, including, but not limited to, live-linear OTT service providers, aggressive short term introductory pricing and bundled offers combining broadband, video and/or wireless services and other discounted promotional offers and direct-to-consumer offerings by certain of our programmers. Our gross new DISH TV subscriber activations continue to be negatively impacted by an emphasis on acquiring higher quality subscribers.
DISH TV churn rate. Our DISH TV churn rate for the year ended December 31, 2024 was 1.46% compared to 1.69% for the same period in 2023. Our DISH TV churn rate for the year ended December 31, 2024 was positively impacted by our emphasis on acquiring and retaining higher quality subscribers. Our DISH TV churn rate continues to be adversely impacted by external factors, such as, among other things, cord cutting, shifting consumer behavior and increased competitive pressures, including, but not limited to, live-linear OTT service providers, aggressive marketing, bundled discount offers combining broadband, video and/or wireless services and other discounted promotional offers. Our DISH TV churn rate is also impacted by internal factors, such as, among other things, our ability to consistently provide outstanding customer service, price increases, our ability to control piracy and other forms of fraud and the level of our retention efforts. In addition, our DISH TV churn rate for the year ended December 31, 2023 was briefly elevated due to a cybersecurity incident in the first quarter of 2023.
Our net Pay-TV subscriber additions, gross new DISH TV subscriber activations and DISH TV churn rate have been negatively impacted as a result of programming interruptions and threatened programming interruptions in connection with the scheduled expiration of programming carriage contracts with content providers. We cannot predict with any certainty the impact to our net Pay-TV subscriber additions, gross new DISH TV subscriber activations and DISH TV subscriber churn rate resulting from programming interruptions or threatened programming interruptions that may occur in the future. As a result, we may at times suffer from periods of lower net Pay-TV subscriber additions or higher net Pay-TV subscriber losses.
We have not always met our own standards for performing high-quality installations, effectively resolving subscriber issues when they arise, answering subscriber calls in an acceptable timeframe, effectively communicating with our subscriber base, reducing calls driven by the complexity of our business, improving the reliability of certain systems and subscriber equipment and aligning the interests of certain independent third-party retailers and installers to provide high-quality service. Most of these factors have affected both gross new DISH TV subscriber activations as well as DISH TV subscriber churn rate. Our future gross new DISH TV subscriber activations and our DISH TV subscriber churn rate may be negatively impacted by these factors, which could in turn adversely affect our revenue.
Service revenue. “Service revenue” totaled $10.614 billion for the year ended December 31, 2024, a decrease of $772 million or 6.8% compared to the same period in 2023. The decrease in “Service revenue” compared to the same period in 2023 was primarily related to lower average Pay-TV subscriber base, partially offset by an increase in Pay-TV ARPU, discussed below.
Equipment sales and other revenue. “Equipment sales and other revenue” totaled $75 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, a decrease of $111 million or 59.7% compared to the same period in 2023. The decrease in “Equipment sales and other revenue” compared to the same period in 2023 was primarily related to a non-recurring $75 million license of our Adaptive Bitrate Streaming patents to Peloton covering certain Peloton products that resolves our litigation involving those products during the second quarter of 2023.
Pay-TV ARPU. Pay-TV ARPU was $108.90 during the year ended December 31, 2024 versus $104.56 during the same period in 2023. The $4.34 or 4.2% increase in Pay-TV ARPU was primarily attributable to DISH TV and SLING TV programming price increases and higher Pay-TV ad sales revenue. The DISH TV and SLING TV programming package price increases were effective in the fourth quarter of 2023.
Cost of services. “Cost of services” totaled $6.547 billion during the year ended December 31, 2024, a decrease of $431 million or 6.2% compared to the same period in 2023. The decrease in “Cost of services” was primarily attributable to a lower average Pay-TV subscriber base and lower variable and retention costs per subscriber due to, among other things, operational efficiencies, partially offset by higher programming costs per subscriber. Programming costs per subscriber increased during the year ended December 31, 2024 due to rate increases in certain of our programming contracts, including the renewal of certain contracts at higher rates, particularly for local broadcast channels. Variable and retention costs per subscriber during the year ended December 31, 2023 were negatively impacted by approximately $30 million in cybersecurity-related expenses to remediate a cybersecurity incident and provide additional customer support. “Cost of services” represented 61.7% and 61.3% of “Service revenue” during the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
In the normal course of business, we enter into contracts to purchase programming content in which our payment obligations are generally contingent on the number of Pay-TV subscribers to whom we provide the respective content. Our “Cost of services” have and will continue to face further upward pressure from price increases and the renewal of long-term programming contracts on less favorable pricing terms. In addition, our programming expenses will increase to the extent we are successful in growing our Pay-TV subscriber base.
Selling, general and administrative expenses. “Selling, general and administrative expenses” totaled $1.076 billion during the year ended December 31, 2024, a $339 million or 23.9% decrease compared to the same period in 2023. This change was primarily driven by a decrease in subscriber acquisition costs resulting from lower marketing expenditures and lower gross new DISH TV subscriber activations and a decrease in personnel costs.
Depreciation and amortization. “Depreciation and amortization” expense totaled $337 million during the year ended December 31, 2024, a $44 million or 11.5% decrease compared to the same period in 2023. This change was primarily driven by a decrease in depreciation expense from equipment leased to new and existing DISH TV subscribers, the expiration of our Nimiq 5 finance lease in September 2024, and the EchoStar XI satellite which became fully depreciated during the second quarter of 2023.
Impairment of long-lived assets and goodwill. “Impairment of long-lived assets and goodwill” totaled $6 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. This impairment represents a noncash impairment charge for goodwill. See Note 2 to the Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further information.
DISH TV SAC. DISH TV SAC was $999 during the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to $1,118 during the same period in 2023, a decrease of $119 or 10.6%. This change was primarily attributable to a decrease in advertising costs per subscriber and a higher percentage of remanufactured receivers being activated on new subscriber accounts, partially offset by higher commission costs due to our emphasis on acquiring higher quality subscribers.
During the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, the amount of equipment capitalized under our lease program for new DISH TV subscribers totaled $26 million and $54 million, respectively. This decrease in capital expenditures primarily resulted from a decrease in gross new DISH TV subscriber activations and a higher percentage of remanufactured receivers being activated on new subscriber accounts.
To remain competitive, we upgrade or replace subscriber equipment periodically as technology changes, and the costs associated with these upgrades may be substantial. To the extent technological changes render a portion of our existing equipment obsolete, we would be unable to redeploy all returned equipment and consequently would realize less benefit from the DISH TV SAC reduction associated with redeployment of that returned lease equipment.
Our “DISH TV SAC” may materially increase in the future to the extent that we, among other things, transition to newer technologies, introduce more aggressive promotions or provide greater equipment subsidies. See further information under “Liquidity and Capital Resources - Subscriber Acquisition and Retention Costs.”
Year Ended December 31, 2023 Compared to the Year Ended December 31, 2022.
For the Years Ended December 31,
Variance
Statements of Operations Data
Amount
%
(In thousands)
Revenue:
Service revenue
$
11,385,961
$
12,360,601
$
(974,640)
(7.9)
Equipment sales and other revenue
185,198
144,791
40,407
27.9
Total revenue
11,571,159
12,505,392
(934,233)
(7.5)
Costs and expenses:
Cost of services
6,977,628
7,423,427
(445,799)
(6.0)
% of Service revenue
61.3
%
60.1
%
Cost of sales - equipment and other
91,164
97,315
(6,151)
(6.3)
Selling, general and administrative expenses
1,414,808
1,622,281
(207,473)
(12.8)
% of Total revenue
12.2
%
13.0
%
Depreciation and amortization
381,292
428,471
(47,179)
(11.0)
Impairment of long-lived assets and goodwill
6,457
-
6,457
*
Total costs and expenses
8,871,349
9,571,494
(700,145)
(7.3)
Operating income (loss)
$
2,699,810
$
2,933,898
$
(234,088)
(8.0)
Other data:
Pay-TV subscribers, as of period end (in millions)
8.526
9.750
(1.224)
(12.6)
DISH TV subscribers, as of period end (in millions)
6.471
7.416
(0.945)
(12.7)
SLING TV subscribers, as of period end (in millions)
2.055
2.334
(0.279)
(12.0)
Pay-TV subscriber additions (losses), net (in millions)
(1.224)
(0.957)
(0.267)
(27.9)
DISH TV subscriber additions (losses), net (in millions)
(0.945)
(0.805)
(0.140)
(17.4)
SLING TV subscriber additions (losses), net (in millions)
(0.279)
(0.152)
(0.127)
(83.6)
Pay-TV ARPU
$
104.56
$
101.20
$
3.36
3.3
DISH TV subscriber additions, gross (in millions)
0.464
0.634
(0.170)
(26.8)
DISH TV churn rate
1.69
%
1.54
%
0.15
%
9.7
DISH TV SAC
$
1,118
$
1,044
$
7.1
Purchases of property and equipment, net of refunds **
$
242,736
$
131,093
$
111,643
85.2
OIBDA
$
3,081,102
$
3,362,369
$
(281,267)
(8.4)
*
Percentage is not meaningful.
**
Purchases of property and equipment, net of refunds includes satellite purchases during the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 of $105 million and zero, respectively.
Pay-TV Subscribers
DISH TV subscribers. We lost approximately 945,000 net DISH TV subscribers during the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the loss of approximately 805,000 net DISH TV subscribers during the same period in 2022. This increase in net DISH TV subscriber losses primarily resulted from lower gross new DISH TV subscriber activations and a higher DISH TV churn rate.
SLING TV subscribers. We lost approximately 279,000 net SLING TV subscribers during the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the loss of approximately 152,000 net SLING TV subscribers during the same period in 2022. The increase in net SLING TV subscriber losses were primarily related to lower SLING TV subscriber activations, partially offset by lower SLING TV subscriber disconnects in 2023. We continue to experience increased competition, including competition from other subscription video on-demand and live-linear OTT service providers, many of which are providers of our content and offer football and other seasonal sports programming direct to subscribers on an a la carte basis.
DISH TV subscribers, gross. During the year ended December 31, 2023, we activated approximately 464,000 gross new DISH TV subscribers compared to approximately 634,000 gross new DISH TV subscribers during the same period in 2022, a decrease of 26.8%. This decrease in our gross new DISH TV subscriber activations was primarily related to the lack of demand, shifting consumer behavior, and lower marketing expenditures, as well as increased competitive pressures, including, but not limited to, live-linear OTT service providers, aggressive short term introductory pricing and bundled offers combining broadband, video and/or wireless services and other discounted promotional offers, and direct-to-consumer offerings by certain of our programmers. Our gross new DISH TV subscriber activations continue to be negatively impacted by an emphasis on acquiring higher quality subscribers.
DISH TV churn rate. Our DISH TV churn rate for the year ended December 31, 2023 was 1.69% compared to 1.54% for the same period in 2022. Our DISH TV churn rate for the year ended December 31, 2023 was briefly elevated due to the cybersecurity incident. Our DISH TV churn rate continues to be adversely impacted by external factors, such as, among other things, cord cutting, shifting consumer behavior and increased competitive pressures, including, but not limited to, live-linear OTT service providers, aggressive marketing, bundled discount offers combining broadband, video and/or wireless services and other discounted promotional offers. Our DISH TV churn rate continues to be positively impacted by our emphasis on acquiring and retaining higher quality subscribers. Our DISH TV churn rate is also impacted by internal factors, such as, among other things, our ability to consistently provide outstanding customer service, price increases, our ability to control piracy and other forms of fraud, and the level of our retention efforts.
Service revenue. “Service revenue” totaled $11.386 billion for the year ended December 31, 2023, a decrease of $975 million or 7.9% compared to the same period in 2022. The decrease in “Service revenue” compared to the same period in 2022 was primarily related to a lower average Pay-TV subscriber base, partially offset by an increase in Pay-TV ARPU, discussed below.
Equipment sales and other revenue. “Equipment sales and other revenue” totaled $185 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, an increase of $40 million or 27.9% compared to the same period in 2022. The increase in “Equipment sales and other revenue” compared to the same period in 2022 was primarily related to a non-recurring $75 million license of our Adaptive Bitrate Streaming patents to Peloton covering certain Peloton products that resolves our litigation involving those products, partially offset by a decrease in equipment sales revenue.
Pay-TV ARPU. Pay-TV ARPU was $104.56 during the year ended December 31, 2023 versus $101.20 during the same period in 2022. The $3.36 or 3.3% increase in Pay-TV ARPU was primarily attributable to DISH TV and SLING TV programming price increases. The DISH TV and SLING TV programming package price increases were effective in the fourth quarter of 2022 and 2023.
Cost of services. “Cost of services” totaled $6.978 billion during the year ended December 31, 2023, a decrease of $446 million or 6.0% compared to the same period in 2022. The decrease in “Cost of services” was primarily attributable to a lower average Pay-TV subscriber base, partially offset by higher programming costs per subscriber and higher variable and retention costs per subscriber. Programming costs per subscriber increased during the year ended December 31, 2023 due to rate increases in certain of our programming contracts, including the renewal of certain contracts at higher rates, particularly for local broadcast channels. In addition, variable and retention costs per subscriber increased during the year ended December 31, 2023 due to, among other things, approximately $30 million in cybersecurity-related expenses to remediate the incident and provide additional customer support. “Cost of services” represented 61.3% and 60.1% of “Service revenue” during the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
Selling, general and administrative expenses. “Selling, general and administrative expenses” totaled $1.415 billion during the year ended December 31, 2023, a $207 million or 12.8% decrease compared to the same period in 2022. This change was primarily driven by a decrease in subscriber acquisition costs resulting from lower marketing expenditures and lower gross new DISH TV subscriber activations, and a decrease in personnel costs, partially offset by Merger related costs.
Depreciation and amortization. “Depreciation and amortization” expense totaled $381 million during the year ended December 31, 2023, a $47 million or 11.0% decrease compared to the same period in 2022. This change was primarily driven by a decrease in depreciation expense from equipment leased to new and existing DISH TV subscribers and the EchoStar XI satellite which became fully depreciated during the second quarter of 2023.
Impairment of long-lived assets and goodwill. “Impairment of long-lived assets and goodwill” totaled $6 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. This impairment represents a noncash impairment charge for goodwill. See Note 2 to the Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further information.
DISH TV SAC. DISH TV SAC was $1,118 during the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to $1,044 during the same period in 2022, an increase of $74 or 7.1%. This change was primarily attributable to an increase in advertising costs per subscriber, higher installation costs due to an increase in labor and other installation costs, and a lower percentage of remanufactured receivers being activated on new subscriber accounts.
During the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, the amount of equipment capitalized under our lease program for new DISH TV subscribers totaled $54 million and $55 million, respectively.
Wireless Segment
Our Wireless segment business strategy is to expand our current target segments and profitably grow our Wireless subscriber base and commercialize and grow customer traffic on our 5G Network. We intend to grow our Wireless subscriber base by acquiring and retaining high quality subscribers with competitive offers, choice and outstanding customer service that better meet those subscribers’ needs and budget.
Our Wireless segment provides Wireless communication services and products. We currently offer our Wireless services for 5G VoNR to over 220 million Americans and for 5G broadband service to over 268 million Americans, as well as a competitive portfolio of wireless devices.
We offer nationwide Wireless services to subscribers primarily under our Boost Mobile and Gen Mobile brands. Prepaid Wireless subscribers generally pay in advance for monthly access to wireless talk, text and data services. Postpaid Wireless subscribers are qualified to pay after receiving wireless talk, text and data services and may also qualify for certain device financing arrangements.
Boost Mobile postpaid. During 2023, we launched our nationwide expansion of our Boost Mobile postpaid Wireless service. At the end of the third quarter of 2023, we began offering premium wireless devices, including Apple products. We currently offer a broad range of premium wireless devices on our 5G Network, including the Apple iPhone 15 and newer generation iPhones.
We are currently operating primarily as an MVNO as we continue our 5G Network Deployment and commercialize and grow customer traffic on our 5G Network. We are transitioning to an MNO as our 5G Network has become commercially available and we grow customer traffic on our 5G Network. We are currently activating Boost Mobile subscribers with compatible devices onto our 5G Network in markets where we have reached VoNR. We have deployed 5G VoNR covering over 220 million Americans. Within our MVNO operations, today we depend in part on T-Mobile and AT&T to provide us with network services under the MNSA and NSA, respectively. As of December 31, 2024, we had 6.995 million Wireless subscribers.
Currently, we offer Wireless subscribers competitive consumer plans with no annual service contracts and monthly service plans including high-speed data and unlimited talk and text. We also offer a variety of value-added services, including, but not limited to, device payment and protection plans and device financing arrangements for certain qualified subscribers.
During the second half of 2022, we began the process of migrating subscribers off the Transition Services Agreement (“TSA”) with T-Mobile, including the billing systems, and onto our own billing and operational support systems. The migration of subscribers to our new billing and operational support systems accelerated during the fourth quarter of 2022 and continued in the first and second quarters of 2023. The migration of subscribers during the first and second quarters of 2023 negatively impacted our Wireless churn rate and our results of operations. During the second quarter of 2023, we completed the migration of subscribers off the TSA with T-Mobile and onto our own billing and operational support systems.
ACP Subscribers. A portion of our Wireless subscriber base and revenue was comprised of subscribers who received benefits under the ACP program. Households enrolled in the ACP program continued to receive the benefit on their service through April 2024. In May 2024, households received a partial benefit and on June 1, 2024 the ACP program funding concluded and households no longer received their benefit. Although we implemented plans to retain and/or migrate these subscribers to lower priced service plans, these subscribers began deactivating in the second and third quarters of 2024. As of September 30, 2024, we had approximately 33,000 Wireless ACP subscribers, the majority of which migrated to other service plans in the fourth quarter of 2024. As of December 31, 2024, we have no Wireless ACP subscribers.
Generally, ACP subscribers have lower Wireless ARPU than other Wireless subscribers and as a result, any loss of ACP subscribers had a nominal impact on pre-tax net income.
We have invested a total of over $30 billion in Wireless spectrum licenses. The $30 billion of investments related to Wireless spectrum licenses does not include $10 billion of capitalized interest related to the carrying value of such licenses. See Note 2 and Note 15 in the Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further information. We continue to commercialize our Wireless spectrum licenses through the completion of our 5G Network Deployment. We have committed to the FCC to deploy our 5G Network capable of serving increasingly larger portions of the U.S. population at different deadlines.
We may need to raise additional capital in the future, which may not be available on favorable terms or at all, to fund the efforts described below, as well as, among other things, make any potential Northstar Re-Auction Payment and SNR Re-Auction Payment for the AWS-3 licenses retained by the FCC. There can be no assurance that we will be able to complete all build-out requirements or profitably deploy our Wireless spectrum licenses, which may affect the carrying amount of these assets and our future financial condition or results of operations. See Note 15 in the Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further information.
Our Wireless spectrum licenses are subject to certain interim and final build-out requirements, as well as certain renewal requirements. On September 29, 2023, the FCC confirmed we met all of our June 14, 2023 band-specific 5G deployment commitments, and two of our three nationwide 5G commitments. The single remaining 5G commitment, that at least 70% of the U.S. population has access to average download speeds equal to 35 Mbps, was achieved in March 2024 using the drive test methodology previously agreed upon by us and the FCC and overseen by an independent monitor. We currently have the largest commercial deployment of 5G VoNR in the world covering over 220 million Americans and 5G broadband service covering over 268 million Americans.
In September 2024, the FCC conditionally granted our requests to extend the 5G deployment deadlines for certain of our Wireless spectrum licenses based on several commitments and in a January 10, 2025 filing to the FCC, we certified to meeting the accelerated buildout (Commitments #2 and #3 of the Extension Request) and the nationwide 80% coverage obligations (Commitment #1 of the Extension Request) due by December 31, 2024. Thus, pursuant to the Extension Request, the final deployment deadlines for the licenses subject to the Extension Request (listed in Appendix G) shall be extended to December 14, 2026. In addition, the final deployment deadlines for the licenses subject to the Extension Request (listed in Appendix G) shall be further extended to June 14, 2028 as long as we satisfy the remaining Extension Request commitments. See Note 15 in the Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for definitions and further details.
We may need to make significant additional investments or partner with others to, among other things, continue our 5G Network Deployment and further commercialize, build-out and integrate these licenses and related assets and any additional acquired licenses and related assets, as well as to comply with regulations applicable to such licenses. Depending on the nature and scope of such activities, any such investments or partnerships could vary significantly. In addition, as we continue our 5G Network Deployment, we have and may continue to incur significant additional expenses related to, among other things, research and development, wireless testing and ongoing upgrades to the wireless network infrastructure, software and third-party integration. As a result of these investments, among other factors, we may need to raise additional capital, which may not be available on favorable terms or at all. We may also determine that additional wireless spectrum licenses may be required for our 5G Network Deployment, which will enhance our ability to compete effectively with other wireless service providers.
Competition. Wireless communication services is a mature market with moderate year over year organic growth. Competitors include, among others, providers who offer similar wireless communication services, such as talk, text and data. Competitive factors within the wireless communication services industry include, but are not limited to, pricing, market saturation, service and product offerings, customer experience and service quality. We compete with a number of national wireless carriers, including Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile, all of which are significantly larger than us, serve a significant percentage of all wireless subscribers and enjoy scale advantages compared to us. Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile are currently the only nationwide MNOs in the United States.
Additional primary competitors to our Wireless segment include, but are not limited to, Metro PCS (owned by T-Mobile), Cricket Wireless (owned by AT&T), Visible (owned by Verizon), Tracfone Wireless (owned by Verizon), Total Wireless (owned by Verizon) and other MVNOs such as Consumer Cellular, Mint Mobile (owned by T-Mobile), Spectrum Mobile and Xfinity Mobile.
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS -Wireless Segment
Year Ended December 31, 2024 Compared to the Year Ended December 31, 2023.
For the Years Ended December 31,
Variance
Statements of Operations Data
Amount
%
(In thousands)
Revenue:
Service revenue
$
3,156,760
$
3,337,240
$
(180,480)
(5.4)
Equipment sales and other revenue
451,223
394,920
56,303
14.3
Total revenue
3,607,983
3,732,160
(124,177)
(3.3)
Costs and expenses:
Cost of services (1)
3,100,316
2,012,333
1,087,983
54.1
% of Service revenue
98.2
%
60.3
%
Cost of sales - equipment and other (2)
1,250,656
2,110,706
(860,050)
(40.7)
Selling, general and administrative expenses
954,034
1,114,485
(160,451)
(14.4)
% of Total revenue
26.4
%
29.9
%
Depreciation and amortization
1,134,883
800,629
334,254
41.7
Impairment of long-lived assets and goodwill
-
218,560
(218,560)
*
Total costs and expenses
6,439,889
6,256,713
183,176
2.9
Operating income (loss)
$
(2,831,906)
$
(2,524,553)
$
(307,353)
(12.2)
Other data:
Wireless subscribers, as of period end (in millions)**
6.995
7.378
(0.383)
(5.2)
Wireless subscriber additions, gross (in millions)
2.520
2.743
(0.223)
(8.1)
Wireless subscriber additions (losses), net (in millions) ***
(0.304)
(0.617)
0.313
50.7
Wireless ARPU
$
36.57
$
36.15
$
0.42
1.2
Wireless churn rate
3.00
%
4.17
%
(1.17)
%
(28.1)
Purchases of property and equipment, net of refunds
$
1,113,823
$
2,586,151
$
(1,472,328)
(56.9)
OIBDA
$
(1,697,023)
$
(1,723,924)
$
26,901
1.6
(1) Excluding the impact of the Operational Presentation Change, defined below, which totaled $977 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, “Cost of services” for the year ended December 31, 2024 increased $111 million compared to the same period in 2023.
(2) Excluding the impact of the Operational Presentation Change, defined below, which totaled $977 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, “Cost of sales - equipment and other” for the year ended December 31, 2024 increased $117 million compared to the same period in 2023.
*Percentage is not meaningful.
**
During the fourth quarter of 2024, we removed approximately 79,000 subscribers from our period end Wireless subscriber count representing Wireless subscribers whose economic interests were sold during the year ended December 31, 2024 and these subscribers will migrate off our network beginning in the second quarter of 2025. This removal had no impact on any other reported subscriber metrics, other than our period end Wireless subscriber count.
***
Includes Government subsidized subscribers.
Wireless subscribers. We lost approximately 304,000 net Wireless subscribers during the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to the loss of approximately 617,000 net Wireless subscribers during the same period in 2023. This decrease in net Wireless subscriber losses primarily resulted from a lower Wireless churn rate, partially offset by lower gross new Wireless subscriber activations for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to the same period in 2023. In addition, we had net losses of Government subsidized subscribers during the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to net additions in the same period in 2023, primarily due to the ACP program funding concluding on June 1, 2024. See “Wireless Segment - ACP Subscribers” for further information. Excluding the impact of net losses of Government subsidized subscribers, we added approximately 170,000 net Wireless subscribers during the year ended December 31, 2024.
Wireless subscribers, gross. During the year ended December 31, 2024, we activated approximately 2.520 million gross new Wireless subscribers compared to approximately 2.743 million gross new Wireless subscribers during the same period in 2023, a decrease of 8.1%. Our gross new Wireless subscribers for the year ended December 31, 2024 was negatively impacted by our emphasis on acquiring and retaining higher quality subscribers and increased competitive pressures, including aggressive competitor marketing, discounted service plans and deeper wireless device subsidies.
Wireless churn rate. Our Wireless churn rate for the year ended December 31, 2024 was 3.00% compared to 4.17% for the same period in 2023. Our Wireless churn rate for the year ended December 31, 2024 was positively impacted by our emphasis on acquiring and retaining higher quality subscribers, partially offset by competitive pressures, including deeper wireless device subsidies. In addition, our Wireless churn rate for the year ended December 31, 2023 was negatively impacted by migrating subscribers off the TSA with T-Mobile and onto our new billing and operational support systems.
Service revenue. “Service revenue” totaled $3.157 billion for the year ended December 31, 2024, a decrease of $180 million or 5.4% compared to the same period in 2023. The decrease in “Service revenue” compared to the same period in 2023 was primarily related to a lower average Wireless subscriber base, partially offset by an increase in Wireless ARPU, discussed below.
Wireless ARPU. Wireless ARPU was $36.57 during the year ended December 31, 2024 versus $36.15 during the same period in 2023. The $0.42 or 1.2% increase in Wireless ARPU was primarily attributable to a shift in subscriber plan mix to higher priced service plans and increased sales of value added services. This increase was partially offset by providing ACP subscribers discounted or free services as a result of the conclusion of the ACP program funding.
Equipment sales and other revenue. “Equipment sales and other revenue” totaled $451 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, an increase of $56 million or 14.3% compared to the same period in 2023. The increase in “Equipment sales and other revenue” compared to the same period in 2023 was primarily related to wireless devices with higher revenue per unit shipped due to unit mix, partially offset by a decrease in units shipped and higher promotional subsidies. During the year ended December 31, 2024, we shipped a higher percentage of devices that are compatible with our 5G Network and other devices that have a higher revenue per unit. In addition, this increase was partially offset by lower leased spectrum revenue.
Cost of services. “Cost of services” totaled $3.100 billion for the year ended December 31, 2024, an increase of $1.088 billion compared to the same period in 2023. Beginning on January 1, 2024, “Cost of services” includes certain direct costs related to our 5G Network Deployment, including lease expense on communication towers, transport, cloud services and other costs which were previously reported in “Cost of sales - equipment and other” (the “Operational Presentation Change”), which totaled $977 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, as a significant portion of our 5G Network was placed into service. Excluding the impact of the Operational Presentation Change, “Cost of services” for the year ended December 31, 2024 increased $111 million compared to the same period in 2023. This change primarily resulted from an increase in lease expense on communication towers, transport and other related costs. In addition, beginning on January 1, 2024, as a significant portion of our 5G Network was placed into service, “Cost of services” includes certain personal costs which were previously reported in “Selling, general and administrative expenses.”
These increases were partially offset by a lower average Wireless subscriber base, lower network services costs per subscriber and operational efficiencies, partially offset by higher monthly dealer incentive costs. In the third quarter of 2023, we realigned our commission structure with current business objectives to acquire higher quality, long-term subscribers, which resulted in higher monthly dealer incentive costs. The year ended December 31, 2023 was negatively impacted by the migration of subscribers off the TSA with T-Mobile and onto our new billing and operational support systems. We incurred duplicative costs related to our TSA with T-Mobile and our own billing and operational support systems as we migrated subscribers off the TSA with T-Mobile.
Cost of sales - equipment and other. “Cost of sales - equipment and other” totaled $1.251 billion for the year ended December 31, 2024, a decrease of $860 million compared to the same period in 2023. Excluding the impact of the Operational Presentation Change, “Cost of sales - equipment and other” for the year ended December 31, 2024 increased $117 million compared to the same period in 2023. This increase primarily resulted from wireless devices with higher costs per unit shipped due to unit mix, partially offset by a decrease in units shipped and higher vendor rebates. During the year ended December 31, 2024, we shipped a higher percentage of devices that are compatible with our 5G Network and other devices that have a higher cost per unit.
Selling, general and administrative expenses. “Selling, general and administrative expenses” totaled $954 million during the year ended December 31, 2024, a $160 million or 14.4% decrease compared to the same period in 2023. This decrease was primarily driven by lower sales commissions and a decrease in costs to support the Wireless segment, partially offset by higher marketing expenditures. In the third quarter of 2023, we realigned our commission structure with current business objectives to acquire higher quality, long-term subscribers, which resulted in lower sales commissions. In addition, beginning on January 1, 2024, as a significant portion of our 5G Network was placed into service, “Cost of services” includes certain personal costs which were previously reported in “Selling, general and administrative expenses” partially driving this decrease. Furthermore, the year ended December 31, 2023 was negatively impacted by costs of migrating subscribers off the TSA with T-Mobile and onto our new billing and operational support systems.
Depreciation and amortization. “Depreciation and amortization” expense totaled $1.135 billion during the year ended December 31, 2024, a $334 million or 41.7% increase compared to the same period in 2023. This change was primarily driven by an increase in depreciation and amortization expense related to 5G Network Deployment assets being placed in service. We expect our depreciation and amortization expense to increase as we continue to place 5G Network Deployment assets into service. This increase was partially offset by a decrease in amortization expense from subscriber relationships related to the Boost Mobile acquisition in 2020, which became fully amortized during the second quarter of 2024.
Impairment of long-lived assets and goodwill. “Impairment of long-lived assets and goodwill” totaled $219 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. This impairment represents a noncash impairment charge for goodwill. See Note 2 to the Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further information.
Year Ended December 31, 2023 Compared to the Year Ended December 31, 2022.
For the Years Ended December 31,
Variance
Statements of Operations Data
Amount
%
(In thousands)
Revenue:
Service revenue
$
3,337,240
$
3,653,909
$
(316,669)
(8.7)
Equipment sales and other revenue
394,920
526,109
(131,189)
(24.9)
Total revenue
3,732,160
4,180,018
(447,858)
(10.7)
Costs and expenses:
Cost of services
2,012,333
2,135,073
(122,740)
(5.7)
% of Service revenue
60.3
%
58.4
%
Cost of sales - equipment and other
2,110,706
1,715,276
395,430
23.1
Selling, general and administrative expenses
1,114,485
929,299
185,186
19.9
% of Total revenue
29.9
%
22.2
%
Depreciation and amortization
800,629
288,602
512,027
*
Impairment of long-lived assets and goodwill
218,560
-
218,560
*
Total costs and expenses
6,256,713
5,068,250
1,188,463
23.4
Operating income (loss)
$
(2,524,553)
$
(888,232)
$
(1,636,321)
*
Other data:
Wireless subscribers, as of period end (in millions) **
7.378
7.983
(0.605)
(7.6)
Wireless subscriber additions, gross (in millions)
2.743
3.418
(0.675)
(19.7)
Wireless subscriber additions (losses), net (in millions) ***
(0.617)
(0.576)
(0.041)
(7.1)
Wireless ARPU
$
36.15
$
37.72
$
(1.57)
(4.2)
Wireless churn rate
4.17
%
4.46
%
(0.29)
%
(6.5)
Purchases of property and equipment, net of refunds
$
2,586,151
$
2,596,209
$
(10,058)
(0.4)
OIBDA
$
(1,723,924)
$
(599,630)
$
(1,124,294)
*
*
Percentage is not meaningful.
**
During the second quarter of 2022, we removed approximately 126,000 subscribers from our ending Wireless subscriber count representing Wireless subscribers who did not migrate off the CDMA network prior to the shutdown. The effect of the removal of the 126,000 Wireless subscribers was excluded from the calculation of our net Wireless subscriber additions/losses and Wireless churn rate. In addition, during the third quarter of 2022, approximately 139,000 Boost affiliate subscribers were transferred to us and are included in our ending Wireless subscriber count and excluded from our gross new Wireless subscriber activations.
***
Includes Government subsidized subscribers.
Wireless subscribers. We lost approximately 617,000 net Wireless subscribers during the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the loss of approximately 576,000 net Wireless subscribers during the same period in 2022. This increase in net Wireless subscriber losses primarily resulted from lower gross new Wireless subscriber activations, partially offset by an increase in net Government subsidized subscriber additions and a lower Wireless churn rate.
Wireless subscribers, gross. During the year ended December 31, 2023, we activated approximately 2.743 million gross new Wireless subscribers compared to approximately 3.418 million gross new Wireless subscribers during the same period in 2022, a decrease of 19.7%. This decrease in our gross new Wireless subscriber activations was primarily related to increased competitive pressures, including aggressive competitor marketing, discounted service plans and deeper wireless device subsidies. In addition, our gross new Wireless subscribers for the year ended December 31, 2023 was negatively impacted by our emphasis on acquiring and retaining higher quality subscribers.
Wireless churn rate. Our Wireless churn rate for the year ended December 31, 2023 was 4.17% compared to 4.46% for the same period in 2022. Our Wireless churn rate for the year ended December 31, 2023 was positively impacted by our emphasis on acquiring and retaining higher quality subscribers, partially offset by competitive pressures, including deeper wireless device subsidies. In addition, our Wireless churn rate for the year ended December 31, 2023 was negatively impacted by migrating subscribers off the TSA with T-Mobile and onto our new billing and operational support systems. Furthermore, our Wireless churn rate for the year ended December 31, 2022 was negatively impacted by the shutdown of the CDMA Network.
Service revenue. “Service revenue” totaled $3.337 billion for the year ended December 31, 2023, a decrease of $317 million or 8.7% compared to the same period in 2022. The decrease in “Service revenue” compared to the same period in 2022 was primarily related to a lower average Wireless subscriber base and a decrease in Wireless ARPU, discussed below.
Wireless ARPU. Wireless ARPU was $36.15 during the year ended December 31, 2023 versus $37.72 during the same period in 2022. The $1.57 or 4.2% decrease in Wireless ARPU was primarily attributable to, among other things, a shift in subscriber plan mix to lower priced service plans.
Equipment sales and other revenue. “Equipment sales and other revenue” totaled $395 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, a decrease of $131 million or 24.9% compared to the same period in 2022. The decrease in “Equipment sales and other revenue” compared to the same period in 2022 was primarily related to a decrease in wireless device units shipped and higher promotional subsidies, partially offset by higher revenue per unit shipped due to unit mix. During the year ended December 31, 2023, we shipped a higher percentage of devices that are compatible with our 5G Network and other devices that have a higher revenue per unit.
Cost of services. “Cost of services” totaled $2.012 billion for the year ended December 31, 2023, a decrease of $123 million or 5.7% compared to the same period in 2022. The decrease in “Cost of services” was primarily attributable to a lower average Wireless subscriber base, partially offset by higher monthly dealer incentive costs. During the year ended December 31, 2023, we realigned our commission structure with current business objectives to acquire higher quality, long-term subscribers, which resulted in elevated costs during the transition period.
Cost of sales - equipment and other. “Cost of sales - equipment and other” totaled $2.111 billion for the year ended December 31, 2023, an increase of $395 million or 23.1% compared to the same period in 2022. The change in “Cost of sales - equipment and other” compared to the same period in 2022 was related to an increase in lease expense on communication towers, transport, cloud services, and other related costs. In addition, this increase resulted from wireless devices with higher costs per unit shipped due to unit mix, partially offset by a decrease in units shipped. During the year ended December 31, 2023, we shipped a higher percentage of devices that are compatible with our 5G Network and other devices that have a higher cost per unit.
Selling, general and administrative expenses. “Selling, general and administrative expenses” totaled $1.114 billion during the year ended December 31, 2023, a $185 million or 19.9% increase compared to the same period in 2022. This change was primarily driven by higher marketing expenditures mainly related to the third quarter of 2023 nationwide expansion of our Boost postpaid wireless service and offering of the iPhone 15 on our 5G Network and increases in costs to support the Wireless segment. The year ended December 31, 2022 was negatively impacted by costs related to the development of our own billing and operational support systems as we prepared to migrate subscribers off the TSA with T-Mobile.
Depreciation and amortization. “Depreciation and amortization” expense totaled $801 million during the year ended December 31, 2023, a $512 million increase compared to the same period in 2022. This change was primarily driven by an increase in depreciation and amortization expense related to 5G Network Deployment assets being placed in service. We expect our depreciation and amortization expense to increase as we continue to place 5G Network Deployment assets into service.
Impairment of long-lived assets and goodwill. “Impairment of long-lived assets and goodwill” totaled $219 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. This impairment represents a noncash impairment charge for goodwill. See Note 2 in the Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further information.
Broadband and Satellite Services Segment
We are an industry leader in both networking technologies and services, innovating to deliver the global solutions that power a connected future for people, enterprises and things everywhere. We provide broadband services to consumer customers, which include home and small to medium-sized businesses, and satellite, multi-transport technologies and managed network services to enterprise customers, telecommunications providers, airlines and government entities, including civilian and defense.
Our EchoStar XXIV satellite began service in December 2023, bringing additional broadband capacity across North and South America and is an integral part of our satellite services business. We have leveraged the EchoStar XXIV to deliver satellite services to unserved and underserved consumer markets in the Americas as well as enterprise, aeronautical and government markets.
We also design, provide and install gateway and terminal equipment to customers for other satellite systems. In addition, we design, develop, construct and provide telecommunication networks comprising satellite ground segment systems and terminals to mobile system operators and our enterprise customers. We offer a robust suite of integrated, multi-transport solutions to enable airline and airline service providers to deliver reliable in-flight network connectivity serving both commercial and business aviation.
Backlog
As of December 31, 2024, our Broadband and Satellite Services segment had approximately $1.6 billion of contracted revenue backlog. We define the Broadband and Satellite Services segment contracted revenue backlog as our expected future revenue under enterprise customer contracts that are non-cancelable, including lease revenue.
Competition
Our industry is highly competitive. As a global provider of network technologies, products and services, our Broadband and Satellite Services segment competes with a large number of telecommunications and satellite internet service providers.
In our enterprise markets, we compete against multiple categories of providers. In the managed services area, we compete against providers of satellite-based and terrestrial-based networks, including fiber optic, cable, wireless internet service and internet protocol-based virtual private networks (VPN), which vary by region. In the in-flight connectivity market, we compete against direct and indirect providers of in-flight WiFi services, such as ViaSat and SpaceX.
In our consumer broadband satellite technologies and internet services markets, we compete against traditional telecommunications and wireless carriers, other satellite internet providers, as well as fiber optic, cable and wireless internet service providers. Our primary satellite competitors in the North American consumer market are ViaSat Communications, Inc., which is owned by ViaSat, Inc. (“ViaSat”) and Starlink Services LLC, which is owned by Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (“SpaceX”). Both ViaSat and SpaceX have also entered the South and Central American consumer markets. Our principal competitors for the supply of satellite technology platforms are Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd, ViaSat and ST Engineering iDirect, Inc.
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS - Broadband and Satellite Services Segment
Year Ended December 31, 2024 Compared to the Year Ended December 31, 2023.
For the Years Ended December 31,
Variance
Statements of Operations Data
Amount
%
(In thousands)
Revenue:
Service revenue
$
1,204,938
$
1,443,616
$
(238,678)
(16.5)
Equipment sales and other revenue
370,850
311,943
58,907
18.9
Total revenue
1,575,788
1,755,559
(179,771)
(10.2)
Costs and expenses:
Cost of services
502,740
530,875
(28,135)
(5.3)
% of Service revenue
41.7
%
36.8
%
Cost of sales - equipment and other
308,412
241,570
66,842
27.7
Selling, general and administrative expenses
422,741
486,379
(63,638)
(13.1)
% of Total revenue
26.8
%
27.7
%
Depreciation and amortization
459,796
419,262
40,534
9.7
Impairment of long-lived assets and goodwill
-
536,082
(536,082)
*
Total costs and expenses
1,693,689
2,214,168
(520,479)
(23.5)
Operating income (loss)
$
(117,901)
$
(458,609)
$
340,708
74.3
Other data:
Broadband subscribers, as of period end (in millions)
0.883
1.004
(0.121)
(12.1)
Broadband subscriber additions (losses), net (in millions)
(0.121)
(0.224)
0.103
46.0
Purchases of property and equipment, net of refunds **
$
212,581
$
233,423
$
(20,842)
(8.9)
OIBDA
$
341,895
$
(39,347)
$
381,242
*
*
Percentage is not meaningful.
**
Purchases of property and equipment, net of refunds includes satellite purchases during the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 of $4 million and $118 million, respectively.
Broadband subscribers. We lost approximately 121,000 net Broadband subscribers for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to the loss of approximately 224,000 net Broadband subscribers during the same period in 2023. The decrease in net Broadband subscriber losses was primarily due to lower subscriber disconnects as a result of the new EchoStar XXIV satellite service launch, which increased capacity and subscriber service satisfaction. We continue to operate in a highly competitive environment, with continued pressure from satellite-based competitors and other technologies.
Service revenue. “Service revenue” totaled $1.205 billion for the year ended December 31, 2024, a decrease of $239 million, or 16.5%, as compared to 2023. The decrease was primarily attributable to lower sales of broadband services to our North American and international consumer customers and our North American enterprise customers. In addition, the year ended December 31, 2023 was positively impacted by revenue from Hughes Systique which was deconsolidated from our Consolidated Financial Statements as of December 31, 2023.
Equipment sales and other revenue. “Equipment sales and other revenue” totaled $371 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, an increase of $59 million, or 18.9%, as compared to 2023. The increase was primarily attributable to higher hardware sales to our North American and international enterprise customers, partially offset by a decrease in hardware sales to our mobile satellite system customers.
Cost of services. “Cost of services” totaled $503 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, a decrease of $28 million, or 5.3%, as compared to 2023. The decrease was primarily attributable to lower costs of broadband services to our North American and international consumer customers. Our “Cost of services” represented 41.7% and 36.8% of “Service revenue” during the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. This increase primarily resulted from a change in service mix to lower margin services.
Cost of sales - equipment and other. “Cost of sales - equipment and other” totaled $308 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, an increase of $67 million, or 27.7%, as compared to 2023. The increase was primarily attributable to the corresponding increase in equipment revenue.
Selling, general and administrative expenses. “Selling, general and administrative expenses” totaled $423 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, a decrease of $64 million, or 13.1%, as compared to 2023. The decrease was primarily attributable to lower costs to support the Broadband and Satellite Services segment and lower marketing expenditures, partially offset by an increase in bad debt expense.
Depreciation and amortization. “Depreciation and amortization” expense totaled $460 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, an increase of $41 million, or 9.7%, as compared to 2023. The increase was primarily attributable to an increase in satellite depreciation driven by our EchoStar XXIV satellite, which was placed into service in December 2023.
Impairment of long-lived assets and goodwill. “Impairment of long-lived assets and goodwill” totaled $536 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. This impairment represents a $533 million noncash impairment charge to goodwill and a $3 million noncash impairment for long-lived assets. See Note 2 to the Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further information.
Year Ended December 31, 2023 Compared to the Year Ended December 31, 2022.
For the Years Ended December 31,
Variance
Statements of Operations Data
Amount
%
(In thousands)
Revenue:
Service revenue
$
1,443,616
$
1,611,069
$
(167,453)
(10.4)
Equipment sales and other revenue
311,943
387,024
(75,081)
(19.4)
Total revenue
1,755,559
1,998,093
(242,534)
(12.1)
Costs and expenses:
Cost of services
530,875
567,311
(36,436)
(6.4)
% of Service revenue
36.8
%
35.2
%
Cost of sales - equipment and other
241,570
294,683
(53,113)
(18.0)
Selling, general and administrative expenses
486,379
491,025
(4,646)
(0.9)
% of Total revenue
27.7
%
24.6
%
Depreciation and amortization
419,262
462,748
(43,486)
(9.4)
Impairment of long-lived assets and goodwill
536,082
535,371
*
Total costs and expenses
2,214,168
1,816,478
397,690
21.9
Operating income (loss)
$
(458,609)
$
181,615
$
(640,224)
*
Other data:
Broadband subscribers, as of period end (in millions)
1.004
1.228
(0.224)
(18.2)
Broadband subscriber additions (losses), net (in millions)
(0.224)
(0.234)
0.010
4.3
Purchases of property and equipment, net of refunds **
$
233,423
$
325,891
$
(92,468)
(28.4)
OIBDA
$
(39,347)
$
644,363
$
(683,710)
*
*
Percentage is not meaningful.
**
Purchases of property and equipment, net of refunds includes satellite purchases during the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 of $118 million and $92 million, respectively.
Broadband subscribers. We lost approximately 224,000 net Broadband subscribers for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the loss of approximately 234,000 net Broadband subscribers during the same period in 2022. The net Broadband subscriber losses for the year ended December 31, 2023 primarily resulted from our past capacity limitations, competitive pressure from satellite-based competitors and other technologies, and our emphasis on acquiring and retaining higher quality subscribers.
Service revenue. “Service revenue” totaled $1.444 billion for the year ended December 31, 2023, a decrease of $167 million, or 10.4%, as compared to 2022. The decrease was primarily attributable to lower sales of broadband services and lower sales to our North American Enterprise customers, partially offset by a net increase in broadband services sales to our international enterprise customers.
Equipment sales and other revenue. “Equipment sales and other revenue” totaled $312 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, a decrease of $75 million, or 19.4%, as compared to 2022. The change was primarily attributable to a decrease related to our North American enterprise customers due to lower hardware sales and positive adjustments on certain long-term contracts, and a decrease in hardware sales to our international enterprise customers, partially offset by an increase in sales to our mobile satellite system customers.
Cost of services. “Cost of services” totaled $531 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, a decrease of $36 million, or 6.4%, as compared to 2022. The decrease was primarily attributable to the corresponding decrease in services and revenue.
Cost of sales - equipment and other. “Cost of sales - equipment and other” totaled $242 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, a decrease of $53 million, or 18.0%, as compared to 2022. The decrease was primarily attributable to the corresponding decrease in equipment revenue.
Selling, general and administrative expenses. “Selling, general and administrative expenses” totaled $486 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, a decrease of $5 million, or 0.9%, as compared to 2022. The decrease was primarily attributable to decreases in sales and marketing expenses, partially offset by Merger related costs.
Depreciation and amortization. “Depreciation and amortization” expense totaled $419 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, a decrease of $43 million, or 9.4%, as compared to 2022. The decrease was primarily attributable to decreases in other non-satellite depreciation expense, partially offset by increase in satellite depreciation driven by our Al Yah 3 and EchoStar XXIV satellites.
Impairment of long-lived assets and goodwill. “Impairment of long-lived assets and goodwill” totaled $536 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. This impairment represents a $533 million noncash impairment charge to goodwill and a $3 million noncash impairment for long-lived assets. See Note 2 to the Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further information.
OTHER CONSOLIDATED RESULTS
Year Ended December 31, 2024 Compared to the Year Ended December 31, 2023.
For the Years Ended December 31,
Variance
Statements of Operations Data
Amount
%
(In thousands)
Operating income (loss)
$
(304,070)
$
(277,909)
$
(26,161)
(9.4)
Other income (expense):
Interest income
116,625
207,374
(90,749)
(43.8)
Interest expense, net of amounts capitalized
(481,622)
(90,357)
(391,265)
*
Other, net
593,497
(1,770,792)
2,364,289
*
Total other income (expense)
228,500
(1,653,775)
1,882,275
*
Income (loss) before income taxes
(75,570)
(1,931,684)
1,856,114
96.1
Income tax (provision) benefit, net
(48,945)
296,860
(345,805)
*
Effective tax rate
(64.8)
%
15.4
%
Net income (loss)
(124,515)
(1,634,824)
1,510,309
92.4
Less: Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests, net of tax
(4,969)
67,233
(72,202)
*
Net income (loss) attributable to EchoStar
$
(119,546)
$
(1,702,057)
$
1,582,511
93.0
*
Percentage is not meaningful.
Interest income. “Interest income” totaled $117 million during the year ended December 31, 2024, a decrease of $91 million compared to the same period in 2023. This decrease primarily resulted from lower average cash and marketable investment securities balances during the year ended December 31, 2024.
Interest expense, net of amounts capitalized. “Interest expense, net of amounts capitalized” totaled $482 million during the year ended December 31, 2024, an increase of $391 million compared to the same period in 2023. During the year ended December 31, 2024, as the qualifying assets, including markets within certain bands of wireless spectrum licenses, have been placed into service with the deployment of our 5G Network, we no longer capitalize interest on those assets and as a result, capitalized interest was reduced by $230 million, and interest expense increased. See Note 2 to the Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further information. In addition, this increase resulted from the DISH DBS Financing and issuance of new senior secured and convertible notes, partially offset by the redemption of debt that matured in March and November 2024 and the extinguishment of our Existing DISH Convertible Notes in connection with the EchoStar Exchange Offers, as defined and detailed in Note 10 to the Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Other, net. “Other, net” income totaled $593 million during the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to expense of $1.771 billion during the same period in 2023. The year ended December 31, 2024 was positively impacted by a gain on debt extinguishment of $689 million and a $50 million gain on the Liberty Puerto Rico Asset Sale. The year ended December 31, 2024 was also negatively impacted by a $73 million loss in equity in earnings, including $63 million from our portion of Invidi’s goodwill impairment, and $73 million in net losses and impairments on marketable and non-marketable investment securities. See Note 6, Note 10 and Note 15 to the Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further information. The year ended December 31, 2023 was negatively impacted by a $1.793 billion decrease in the fair value of our option to purchase certain of T-Mobile’s 800 MHz spectrum licenses and $26 million in net losses and impairments on marketable and non-marketable investment securities, partially offset by $73 million of early debt extinguishment gains from the repurchases of our convertible notes.
Income tax (provision) benefit, net. Our income tax provision was $49 million during the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to a benefit of $297 million for the same period in 2023. The change was primarily related to a decrease in “Income (loss) before income taxes” and the change in our effective tax rate. Our effective tax rate during the year ended December 31, 2024 was impacted by federal, state and foreign valuation allowances.
Year Ended December 31, 2023 Compared to the Year Ended December 31, 2022.
For the Years Ended December 31,
Variance
Statements of Operations Data
Amount
%
(In thousands)
Operating income (loss)
$
(277,909)
$
2,232,838
$
(2,510,747)
*
Other income (expense):
Interest income
207,374
93,240
114,134
*
Interest expense, net of amounts capitalized
(90,357)
(79,217)
(11,140)
(14.1)
Other, net
(1,770,792)
1,088,441
(2,859,233)
*
Total other income (expense)
(1,653,775)
1,102,464
(2,756,239)
*
Income (loss) before income taxes
(1,931,684)
3,335,302
(5,266,986)
*
Income tax (provision) benefit, net
296,860
(798,410)
1,095,270
*
Effective tax rate
15.4
%
23.9
%
Net income (loss)
(1,634,824)
2,536,892
(4,171,716)
*
Less: Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests, net of tax
67,233
59,172
8,061
13.6
Net income (loss) attributable to EchoStar
$
(1,702,057)
$
2,477,720
$
(4,179,777)
*
*
Percentage is not meaningful.
Interest income. “Interest income” totaled $207 million during the year ended December 31, 2023, an increase of $114 million compared to the same period in 2022. This increase primarily resulted from higher percentage returns earned on our cash and marketable investment securities, partially offset by lower average cash and marketable investment securities balances during the year ended December 31, 2023.
Other, net. “Other, net” expense totaled $1.771 billion during the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to income of $1.088 billion during the same period in 2022. This change primarily resulted from a loss of approximately $1.793 billion as the probability weighted fair value of our option to purchase certain of T-Mobile’s 800 MHz spectrum licenses was reduced to zero compared to a $1.015 billion increase during the year ended December 31, 2022. In addition, the year ended December 31, 2023 was negatively impacted by a $103 million net decrease in gains on marketable and non-marketable investment securities and impairments of “Other investment securities, net.” Furthermore, the year ended December 31, 2023 was positively impacted by $73 million of early debt extinguishment gains from the repurchases of our convertible notes. See Note 6 and 10 to the Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further information.
Income tax (provision) benefit, net. Our income tax benefit was $297 million during the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to a provision of $798 million during the same period in 2022. The change was primarily related to a decrease in “Income (loss) before income taxes” and the change in our effective tax rate. Our effective tax rate during the year ended December 31, 2023 was impacted by noncash impairment charges to goodwill, and federal, state and foreign valuation allowances.
Non-GAAP Performance Measures and Reconciliation
It is management’s intent to provide non-GAAP financial information to enhance the understanding of our GAAP financial information, and it should be considered by the reader in addition to, but not instead of, the financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP. Each non-GAAP financial measure is presented along with the corresponding GAAP measure so as not to imply that more emphasis should be placed on the non-GAAP measure. We believe that providing these non-GAAP measures in addition to the GAAP measures allows management, investors and other users of our financial information to more fully and accurately assess both consolidated and segment performance. The non-GAAP financial information presented may be determined or calculated differently by other companies and may not be directly comparable to that of other companies.
Segment OIBDA
Segment OIBDA, which is presented below, is a non-GAAP measure and does not purport to be an alternative to operating income (loss) as a measure of operating performance. We believe this measure is useful to management, investors and other users of our financial information in evaluating operating profitability of our business segments on a more variable cost basis as it excludes the depreciation and amortization expenses related primarily to capital expenditures and acquisitions for those business segments, as well as in evaluating operating performance in relation to our competitors. Segment OIBDA is calculated by adding back depreciation and amortization expense to business segments’ operating income (loss). See Note 16 to the Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further information.
For the Year Ended December 31, 2024
Pay-TV
Wireless
Broadband and Satellite Services
Eliminations
Consolidated
(In thousands)
Segment operating income (loss)
$
2,647,954
$
(2,831,906)
$
(117,901)
$
(2,217)
$
(304,070)
Depreciation and amortization
337,331
1,134,883
459,796
(1,817)
1,930,193
OIBDA
$
2,985,285
$
(1,697,023)
$
341,895
$
(4,034)
$
1,626,123
For the Year Ended December 31, 2023
Segment operating income (loss)
$
2,699,810
$
(2,524,553)
$
(458,609)
$
5,443
$
(277,909)
Depreciation and amortization
381,292
800,629
419,262
(3,260)
1,597,923
OIBDA
$
3,081,102
$
(1,723,924)
$
(39,347)
$
2,183
$
1,320,014
For the Year Ended December 31, 2022
Segment operating income (loss)
$
2,933,898
$
(888,232)
$
181,615
$
5,557
$
2,232,838
Depreciation and amortization
428,471
288,602
462,748
(4,926)
1,174,895
OIBDA
$
3,362,369
$
(599,630)
$
644,363
$
$
3,407,733
The changes in OIBDA during the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023, and 2022, were primarily a result of the factors described in connection with operating revenues and operating expenses, and the “Impairment of long-lived assets and goodwill” of: (1) $536 million from our Broadband and Satellite Services segment; (2) $219 million from our Wireless segment; and (3) $6 million from our Pay-TV segment during the year ended December 31, 2023.
GUARANTOR FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Our senior secured notes consisting of our 10 3/4% Senior Secured Notes due 2029 and 6 3/4 % Senior Secured Notes due 2030 and our 3 7/8% Convertible Secured Notes due 2030 (together, the “EchoStar Notes”) are jointly and severally guaranteed on a senior secured basis by certain of our wholly-owned subsidiaries (the “Guarantors”). Specifically, Northstar Wireless, LLC, SNR Wireless LicenseCo, LLC, DBSD Corporation and Gamma Acquisition L.L.C. the (“Spectrum Assets Guarantors”) and Northstar Spectrum, LLC, SNR Wireless HoldCo, LLC, DBSD Services Limited and Gamma Acquisition HoldCo, L.L.C. the (“Equity Pledge Guarantors”).
Certain of our wholly-owned subsidiaries are designated as “Unrestricted Subsidiaries” and do not guarantee any of our registered senior notes. The guarantee of the Guarantors will be discharged and released in accordance with the terms of the applicable indenture. The rights of holders of the registered senior notes against the Guarantors may be limited under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code or state fraudulent transfer or conveyance law.
Each entity in the summarized combined financial information follows the same accounting policies as described in the consolidated financial statements. Information for the non-Guarantor subsidiaries has been excluded from the combined summarized financial information of the obligated group. The accompanying summarized combined financial information does not reflect investments of the obligated group in non-Guarantor subsidiaries. The financial information of the obligated group is presented on a combined basis and is derived from EchoStar’s consolidated financial statements; intercompany balances and transactions within the obligated group have been eliminated. The obligated group’s amounts due to non-Guarantor subsidiaries and related parties have been presented in separate line items.
The summarized balance sheet information for the combined obligor group of the EchoStar Notes is presented in the table below.
As of December 31, 2024
(In thousands)
Current assets
$
6,234,658
Noncurrent assets
17,397,691
Current liabilities
411,704
Noncurrent liabilities
9,254,862
Due from non-guarantors
1,470,067
The summarized results of operations information for the combined obligor group of the EchoStar Notes is presented in the table below.
For the Year Ended
December 31, 2024
(In thousands)
Total revenues
$
60,894
Operating income (loss)
49,284
Net income (loss)
(26,015)
Revenue from non-guarantors
58,200
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
Cash, Cash Equivalents, Current Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents and Current Marketable Investment Securities
We consider all liquid investments purchased with a remaining maturity of 90 days or less at the date of acquisition to be cash equivalents. See Note 3, Note 6 and Note 10 in the Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for defined terms and further information regarding our current financing transactions and marketable investment securities. As of December 31, 2024, our cash, cash equivalents, current restricted cash and cash equivalents, and current marketable investment securities totaled $5.698 billion compared to $2.444 billion as of December 31, 2023, an increase of $3.254 billion. This increase in cash, cash equivalents, current restricted cash and cash equivalents, and current marketable investment securities primarily resulted from $5.204 billion in net proceeds from the issuance of our 10 3/4% Senior Secured Notes due 2029 and 3 7/8% Convertible Secured Notes due 2030, $2.365 billion in net proceeds from the New DISH DBS Financing, $400 million in net proceeds from the issuance of PIPE Shares and cash generated from operating activities of $1.253 billion, partially offset by capital expenditures, net of refunds, of $2.497 billion (including capitalized interest related to Regulatory authorizations), the redemption of our 2 3/8% Convertible Notes due 2024 and 5 7/8% Senior Notes due 2024 of $2.934 billion and the purchase of SNR Management’s ownership interest in SNR HoldCo of $442 million.
Debt Issuances and Maturity
11 3/4% Senior Secured Notes due November 15, 2027
On November 15, 2022 and January 26, 2023, we issued $2.0 billion and $1.5 billion, respectively, aggregate principal amount of our 11 3/4% Senior Secured Notes due November 15, 2027. Interest accrues at an annual rate of 11 3/4% and is payable semi-annually in cash, in arrears on May 15 and November 15 of each year.
New DISH DBS Financing
On September 29, 2024 (the “Financing Closing Date”), we and our subsidiary, DBS SubscriberCo, received $2.5 billion in financing from TPG Angelo Gordon and other co-lenders in the form of Term Loans and Mandatorily Redeemable Preferred Shares (each as defined below and together, the “New DISH DBS Financing”). On the Financing Closing Date, DBS SubscriberCo, entered into an amended and restated limited liability company agreement (the “SubscriberCo LLCA”), pursuant to which, among other things, DBS SubscriberCo issued to certain investors (the “Preferred Members”) redeemable preferred equity interests (the “Preferred Membership Interests”) with an aggregate liquidation preference of $200 million (the “Mandatorily Redeemable Preferred Shares”). Approximately $2.047 billion in proceeds received from the New DISH DBS Financing were used for the redemption of the principal balance and remaining interest outstanding on our 5 7/8% Senior Notes due November 15, 2024. The New DISH DBS Financing consists of the following: (i) initial term loans in an aggregate principal amount of $1.8 billion that mature on June 30, 2029 (the “Term Loan due 2029”), (ii) incremental term loans in an aggregate principal amount of $500 million that are payable in equal monthly installments which began in January 2025 and mature on September 30, 2025 (the “Term Loan due 2025”) and (iii) $200 million Mandatorily Redeemable Preferred Shares that mature on June 30, 2029.
Interest on the Term Loans accrues and is payable monthly, generally in cash. The interest rate with respect to the Term Loan due 2029 is (i) from (and including) the Financing Closing Date and until (but excluding) the date that is twelve months thereafter, 10.75% per annum and (ii) from (and including) the date that is twelve months after the Financing Closing Date and until June 30, 2029, 11.25% per annum. The interest rate with respect to the Term Loan due 2025 is 11.00% per annum. The Preferred Membership Interests have a preferential cumulative return that accumulates daily in arrears at a rate of: (a) from (and including) the Financing Closing Date and until (but excluding) the date that is 12 months thereafter, 13.25% per annum and (b) from (and including) the date that is 12 months after the Financing Closing Date and until June 30, 2029 (or the first business day thereafter), 13.75% per annum, payable in cash monthly and a liquidation preference equal to the issue price plus all accrued and unpaid dividends.
10 3/4% Senior Secured Notes due November 30, 2029
On November 12, 2024, we issued $5.356 billion aggregate principal amount of our 10 3/4% Senior Secured Notes due November 30, 2029. Interest accrues at an annual rate of 10 3/4% and is payable semi-annually in cash, in arrears on May 30 and November 30 of each year, commencing on May 30, 2025.
6 3/4 % Senior Secured Notes due November 30, 2030
On November 12, 2024, we issued $2.288 billion aggregate principal amount of our 6 3/4 % Senior Secured Notes due November 30, 2030 as a result of the consummation of the EchoStar Exchange Offers, as detailed and defined in Note 10 to the Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Interest accrues at an annual rate of 6 3/4 % and is payable semi-annually in arrears on May 30 and November 30 of each year, commencing on May 30, 2025. Interest payments are, at our option, payable in cash or in kind for the first four interest payment periods. Interest payments from and including the fifth interest payment period (which will be payable on May 30, 2027) and thereafter must be paid in cash.
3 7/8% Convertible Secured Notes due November 30, 2030
On November 12, 2024, we issued $1.906 billion aggregate principal amount of our 3 7/8% Convertible Secured Notes due November 30, 2030, including $1.876 billion as a result of the consummation of the EchoStar Exchange Offers, as detailed and defined in Note 10 to the Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Interest accrues at an annual rate of 3 7/8% and is payable semi-annually in arrears on May 30 and November 30 of each year, commencing on May 30, 2025. Interest payments are, at our option, payable in cash or in kind for the first four interest payment periods. Interest payments from and including the fifth interest payment period (which will be payable on May 30, 2027) and thereafter must be paid in cash.
5 7/8% Senior Notes due 2022
Our 5 7/8% Senior Notes due 2022 with an aggregate principal balance of $2.0 billion were repurchased or redeemed as of July 15, 2022, the instrument’s maturity date.
5% Senior Notes due 2023
Our 5% Senior Notes due 2023 with an aggregate principal balance of $1.5 billion were repurchased or redeemed as of March 15, 2023, the instrument’s maturity date.
2 3/8% Convertible Notes due 2024
Our 2 3/8% Convertible Notes due 2024 with an aggregate principal balance of $1.0 billion were repurchased or redeemed as of March 15, 2024, the instrument’s maturity date.
5 7/8% Senior Notes due 2024
Our 5 7/8% Senior Notes due 2024 with an aggregate principal balance of $2.0 billion were repurchased or redeemed as of November 15, 2024, the instrument’s maturity date.
0% Convertible Notes due 2025
On November 12, 2024, $1.819 billion aggregate principal amount of our 0% Convertible Notes due 2025 were extinguished as a result of the consummation of the EchoStar Exchange Offers, as detailed and defined in Note 10 to the Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. A total of $138 million aggregate principal amount of our 0% Convertible Notes due 2025 remain outstanding.
3 3/8% Convertible Notes due 2026
On November 12, 2024, $2.863 billion aggregate principal amount of our 3 3/8% Convertible Notes due 2026 were extinguished as a result of the consummation of the EchoStar Exchange Offers, as detailed and defined in Note 10 to the Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. A total of $45 million aggregate principal amount of our 3 3/8% Convertible Notes due 2026 remain outstanding.
Cash Flow
The following discussion highlights our cash flow activities during the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022.
Cash flows from operating activities. We typically reinvest the cash flow from operating activities in our business primarily to grow our subscriber base, expand our infrastructure, make strategic investments, such as significant investments in our Wireless business, including our 5G Network Deployment, and repay debt obligations. For the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022, we reported “Net cash flows from operating activities” of $1.253 billion, $2.433 billion and $3.621 billion, respectively.
Net cash flows from operating activities from 2023 to 2024 decreased $1.180 billion, primarily attributable to a $815 million decrease in income adjusted to exclude non-cash charges for “Depreciation and amortization” expense, “Realized and unrealized losses (gains) on investments, impairments and other,” “EchoStar Exchange Offers debt extinguishment losses (gains),” “Liberty Puerto Rico Asset Sale losses (gains),” “Realized and unrealized losses (gains) on derivatives,” “Non-cash, stock-based compensation” expense, “Deferred tax expense (benefit),” “Equity in (earnings) losses of affiliates,” and “Impairment of long-lived assets and goodwill.” In addition, this change also includes decreases in cash flows resulting from changes in operating assets and liabilities principally attributable to timing differences between book expense and cash payments, including taxes.
Net cash flows from operating activities from 2022 to 2023 decreased $1.189 billion, primarily attributable to a $1.352 billion decrease in income adjusted to exclude non-cash charges for “Depreciation and amortization” expense, “Realized and unrealized losses (gains) on investments, impairments and other,” “Realized and unrealized losses (gains) on derivatives,” “Non-cash, stock-based compensation” expense, “Deferred tax expense (benefit) and “Impairment of long-lived assets and goodwill.” In addition, this change also includes decreases in cash flows resulting from changes in operating assets and liabilities principally attributable to timing differences between book expense and cash payments, including taxes.
Cash flows from investing activities. Our investing activities generally include purchases and sales of marketable investment securities, acquisitions, strategic investments, including purchases and settlements of derivative financial instruments, and purchases of wireless spectrum licenses, capital expenditures and capitalized interest. For the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022, we reported outflows from “Net cash flows from investing activities” of $3.048 billion, $2.809 billion and $9.060 billion, respectively.
The year ended December 31, 2024 was impacted by cash outflows primarily related to capital expenditures, net of refunds, of $2.497 billion (including capitalized interest related to Regulatory authorizations) and $681 million in net purchases of marketable investment securities, partially offset by $95 million in proceeds from the Liberty Puerto Rico Asset Sale.
The year ended December 31, 2023 was impacted by cash outflows primarily related to capital expenditures, net of refunds, of $4.225 billion (including capitalized interest related to Regulatory authorizations), partially offset by $1.303 billion in net sales of marketable investment securities and $148 million in proceeds from other debt investments.
The year ended December 31, 2022 was impacted by cash outflows primarily related to a $7.207 billion payment to the FCC for the 3.45-3.55 GHz band licenses and capital expenditures, net of refunds, of $4.035 billion (including capitalized interest related to Regulatory authorizations), partially offset by $2.194 billion in net sales of marketable investment securities.
During the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022, capital expenditures for wireless equipment totaled $1.114 billion, $2.586 billion and $2.596 billion, respectively. The decrease in 2024 for wireless equipment was primarily driven by the deceleration of our 5G Network Deployment as a result of achieving several build-out deadlines during 2023. In addition, capital expenditures during the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022 for new and existing DISH TV customer equipment totaled $52 million, $75 million and $78 million, respectively. The decrease in 2024 for new and existing DISH TV customer equipment primarily resulted from lower gross new DISH TV subscriber activations and a higher percentage of remanufactured receivers being activated on new subscriber accounts.
During the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, capital expenditures for satellites related to our Pay-TV segment totaled $121 million and $105 million, respectively. During the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022, other corporate capital expenditures totaled $46 million, $63 million and $50 million, respectively. During the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022 capital expenditures for our Broadband and Satellite Services segment, net of refunds, totaled $212 million, $233 million and $326 million, respectively.
Cash flows from financing activities. Our financing activities generally include net proceeds related to the issuance of equity and short-term, long-term and convertible debt, cash used for the repurchase, redemption or payment of long-term debt and finance lease obligations, and repurchases of our Class A common stock. For the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022, we reported “Net cash flows from financing activities” inflows of $4.484 billion, outflows of $277 million and $274 million, respectively.
The net cash inflows in 2024 primarily related to $5.204 billion in net proceeds from the issuance of our 10 3/4% Senior Secured Notes due 2029 and 3 7/8% Convertible Secured Notes due 2030, $2.365 billion in net proceeds from the New DISH DBS Financing, $400 million in net proceeds from the issuance of PIPE Shares, partially offset by the redemption of our 2 3/8% Convertible Notes due 2024 and 5 7/8% Senior Notes due 2024 of $2.934 billion and the purchase of SNR Management’s ownership interest in SNR HoldCo of $442 million.
The net cash outflows in 2023 primarily related to the repurchases and redemption of our senior notes of $1.461 billion, net repurchases of our Convertible Notes of $110 million and repayments of long-term debt and finance lease obligations of $122 million, partially offset by $1.522 billion in net proceeds from the issuance of our 11 3/4% Senior Notes due 2027.
The net cash outflows in 2022 primarily related to the repurchases and redemption of our 5 7/8% Senior Notes due 2022 with an aggregate principal balance of $2.0 billion, $89 million of repurchases of our treasury shares and $57 million of repurchases of our 5% Senior Notes due 2023 in open market trades, partially offset by $1.949 billion in net proceeds from the issuance of our 11 3/4% Senior Notes due 2027.
Free Cash Flow
We define free cash flow as “Net cash flows from operating activities” less: (i) “Purchases of property and equipment” net of “Refunds and other receipts of purchases of property and equipment,” and (ii) “Capitalized interest related to Regulatory authorizations,” as shown on our Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. We believe free cash flow is an important liquidity metric because it measures, during a given period, the amount of cash generated that is available to repay debt obligations, make investments (including strategic wireless investments), fund acquisitions and for certain other activities. Free cash flow is not a measure determined in accordance with GAAP and should not be considered a substitute for “Operating income (loss),” “Net income (loss),” “Net cash flows from operating activities” or any other measure determined in accordance with GAAP. Since free cash flow includes investments in operating assets, we believe this non-GAAP liquidity measure is useful in addition to the most directly comparable GAAP measure “Net cash flows from operating activities.”
Free cash flow can be significantly impacted from period to period by changes in “Net income (loss)” adjusted to exclude certain non-cash charges, operating assets and liabilities, “Purchases of property and equipment,” net of “Refunds and other receipts of purchases of property and equipment,” and “Capitalized interest related to Regulatory authorizations.” These items are shown in the “Net cash flows from operating activities” and “Net cash flows from investing activities” sections on our Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows included herein. Operating asset and liability balances can fluctuate significantly from period to period and there can be no assurance that free cash flow will not be negatively impacted by material changes in operating assets and liabilities in future periods, since these changes depend upon, among other things, management’s timing of payments and control of inventory levels, and cash receipts. In addition to fluctuations resulting from changes in operating assets and liabilities, free cash flow can vary significantly from period to period depending upon, among other things, subscriber additions (losses), service revenue, subscriber churn, subscriber acquisition and retention costs including amounts capitalized under our equipment lease programs for DISH TV subscribers, operating efficiencies, increases or decreases in purchases of property and equipment, expenditures related to our 5G Network Deployment and other factors.
The following table reconciles free cash flow to “Net cash flows from operating activities.”
For the Years Ended December 31,
(In thousands)
Net cash flows from operating activities
$
1,252,697
$
2,432,647
$
3,621,190
Purchases of property and equipment, net of refunds (including capitalized interest related to Regulatory authorizations)
(2,496,624)
(4,224,783)
(4,034,781)
Free cash flow
$
(1,243,927)
$
(1,792,136)
$
(413,591)
Operational Liquidity
We make general investments in property such as, among others, satellites, wireless devices, set-top boxes, information technology and facilities that support our Pay-TV, Wireless and Broadband and Satellite Services segments. We are also making significant additional investments and may partner with others to, among other things, continue our 5G Network Deployment and further commercialize, build-out and integrate our Wireless spectrum licenses and related assets. Moreover, since we are primarily a subscriber-based company, we also make subscriber-specific investments to acquire new subscribers and retain existing subscribers. While the general investments may be deferred without impacting the business in the short-term, the subscriber-specific investments are less discretionary. Our overall objective is to generate sufficient cash flow over the life of each subscriber to provide an adequate return against the upfront investment. Once the upfront investment has been made for each subscriber, the subsequent cash flow is generally positive, but there can be no assurance that over time we will recoup or earn a return on the upfront investment.
There are a number of factors that impact our future cash flow compared to the cash flow we generate at a given point in time. The first factor is our churn rate and how successful we are at retaining our current subscribers. To the extent we lose subscribers from our existing base, the positive cash flow from that base is correspondingly reduced. The second factor is how successful we are at maintaining our service margins. To the extent our “Cost of services” grow faster than our “Service revenue,” the amount of cash flow that is generated per existing subscriber is reduced. Our Pay-TV service margins have been reduced by, among other things, higher programming costs. Our Wireless service margins are impacted by, among other things, our MNSA agreement with T-Mobile and our NSA agreement with AT&T and the speed with which we are able to migrate Wireless subscribers onto our 5G Network. The third factor is the rate at which we acquire new Pay-TV, Wireless and Broadband subscribers. The faster we acquire new subscribers, the more our positive ongoing cash flow from existing subscribers is offset by the negative upfront cash flow associated with acquiring new subscribers. Conversely, the slower we acquire subscribers, the more our operating cash flow is enhanced in that period.
Finally, our future cash flow is impacted by, among other things, the rate at which we complete our 5G Network Deployment, incur litigation expense, make cash interest payments, and any cash flow from financing activities. We anticipate operating expenditures for our 5G Network Deployment to increase for 2025 as we continue to, among other things, deploy cell sites and communication towers to continue to commercialize our 5G Network. We expect our capital expenditures may decrease in the near term. However, as we prepare for our next build-out requirement deadlines, we expect our capital expenditures to increase as we approach these deadlines. As a result, our historical cash flow is not necessarily indicative of our future cash flows. As of December 31, 2024, as a result of, among other things, capital expenditures for our 5G Network Deployment, we experienced negative free cash flow. We expect that this trend will continue in 2025 and in future periods. In addition, declines in our Pay-TV and Wireless subscriber base and any decrease in subscriber-related margins negatively impact our cash flow, and there can be no assurance that our subscriber declines will not continue.
Subscriber Base - Pay TV, Wireless and Broadband and Satellite Services Segments
See “Results of Operations” above for further information.
Subscriber Acquisition and Retention Costs
We incur significant upfront costs to acquire Pay-TV, Wireless and Broadband subscribers, including, but not limited to, advertising, independent third-party retailer incentives, payments made to third parties, equipment and wireless device subsidies, installation services, and/or new customer promotions. While we attempt to recoup these upfront costs over the lives of their subscription, there can be no assurance that we will be successful in achieving that objective. We employ certain business rules for acquiring subscribers, including, but not limited to, minimum credit requirements, identity verification and contractual commitments. We strive to provide outstanding customer service to increase the likelihood of customers keeping their service over longer periods of time. Our subscriber acquisition costs may vary significantly from period to period.
We incur significant costs to retain our existing DISH TV subscribers, generally as a result of upgrading their equipment to next generation receivers, primarily including our Hopper® receivers, and by providing retention credits. As with our subscriber acquisition costs, our retention upgrade spending includes the cost of equipment and installation services. In certain circumstances, we also offer programming at no additional charge and/or promotional pricing for limited periods to existing customers in exchange for a contractual commitment to receive service for a minimum term. A component of our retention efforts includes the installation of equipment for customers who move. Retention costs for Wireless subscribers are primarily related to promotional pricing on upgraded wireless devices for qualified existing subscribers and promotional credits. Our DISH TV and Wireless subscriber retention costs may vary significantly from period to period.
Seasonality
Historically, the first half of the year generally produces fewer gross new DISH TV subscriber activations than the second half of the year, as is typical in the pay-TV industry. In addition, the first and fourth quarters generally produce a lower DISH TV churn rate than the second and third quarters. However, in recent years, as the pay-TV industry has matured, we and our competitors increasingly must seek to attract a greater proportion of new subscribers from each other’s existing subscriber bases rather than from first-time purchasers of pay-TV services. As a result, historical trends in seasonality described above may not be indicative of future trends.
Our net SLING TV subscriber additions are impacted by, among other things, certain major sporting events and other major television events. The first and third quarters generally produce higher gross new Wireless subscriber activations. The historical trends discussed above, for net DISH TV subscriber additions, net SLING TV subscriber additions and gross new Wireless subscriber activations, may not be indicative of future trends. There can be no assurance that these trends will not continue and/or accelerate.
Satellites
Pay-TV Segment. Operation of our DISH TV services requires that we have adequate satellite transmission capacity for the programming that we offer. Moreover, competitive conditions may require that we expand our offering of new programming. While we generally have had in-orbit satellite capacity sufficient to transmit our existing channels and some backup capacity to recover the transmission of certain critical programming, our backup capacity is limited. In the event of a failure or loss of any of our owned or leased satellites, we may need to acquire or lease additional satellite capacity or relocate one of our other satellites and use it as a replacement for the failed or lost satellite. Such a failure could result in a prolonged loss of critical programming or a significant delay in our plans to expand programming as necessary to remain competitive and cause us to expend a significant portion of our cash to acquire or lease additional satellite capacity.
Broadband and Satellite Services Segment. Operation of our Broadband and Satellite Services segment also requires adequate satellite transmission capacity for the services that we offer. In the event of a failure or loss of any of our owned or leased satellites, we may need to acquire or lease additional satellite capacity or relocate one of our other satellites and use it as a replacement for the failed or lost satellite. Such a failure could result in a prolonged loss of services.
Satellite Insurance
We generally do not carry commercial in-orbit insurance on any of the satellites that we own and therefore, we will bear the risk associated with any uninsured in-orbit satellite failures.
Pursuant to the terms of our joint venture agreement with Al Yah Satellite Communications Company PrJSC (“Yahsat”) in Brazil in 2019, we are required to maintain insurance for the Al Yah 3 Brazilian payload during the commercial in-orbit service of such payload, subject to certain limitations on coverage. The insurance policies were procured by Yahsat, under which we and Yahsat are the beneficiaries of any claims in proportion to their shareholdings. An insurance claim was submitted in the second quarter of 2023 for compensation with respect to the reduction in estimated useful life of the Al Yah 3 satellite. As of December 31, 2024, we have yet to receive any compensation from the insurance claim. We will continue to assess circumstances going forward and make insurance-related decisions on a case-by-case basis.
Stock Repurchases
Our Board of Directors previously authorized stock repurchases of up to $500 million of our outstanding Class A common stock. On October 20, 2022, our Board of Directors extended this authorization to repurchase up to $500 million of our outstanding Class A common stock through and including December 31, 2023. This program expired December 31, 2023. On October 25, 2024, our Board of Directors authorized stock repurchases of up to $1.0 billion of our outstanding Class A common stock through and including December 31, 2025. During both the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, there were no repurchases of our Class A common stock. During the year ended December 31, 2022, we repurchased 3,980,612 shares of our Class A common stock.
Covenants and Restrictions Related to our Long-Term Debt
We are subject to the covenants and restrictions set forth in the indentures related to our long-term debt.
EchoStar Corporation
The indentures related to our outstanding EchoStar senior secured notes and convertible senior secured notes contain restrictive covenants that, among other things, impose limitations on our and certain of our subsidiaries’ ability to: (i) incur or guarantee additional indebtedness; (ii) make certain investments and other restricted payments; (iii) create liens; (iv) enter into certain transactions with affiliates; (v) merge or consolidate with another company; (vi) transfer or sell assets; (vii) allow to exist certain restrictions on paying dividends or other payments; and (viii) guarantor engagement in new activities. Should we fail to comply with these covenants, all or a portion of the debt under the senior secured notes could become immediately payable. The senior secured notes also provide that the debt may be required to be prepaid if certain change-in-control events occur. In addition, the convertible senior secured notes provide that, if a “fundamental change” (as defined in the related indenture) occurs, holders may require us to repurchase for cash all or part of their convertible notes. As of the date of filing of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, we were in compliance with the covenants and restrictions related to our respective long-term debt.
DISH Network and DISH DBS Corporation
The indentures related to our outstanding senior notes issued by DISH DBS Corporation (“DISH DBS”) contain restrictive covenants that, among other things, impose limitations on the ability of DISH DBS and its restricted subsidiaries to: (i) incur additional indebtedness; (ii) enter into sale and leaseback transactions; (iii) pay dividends or make distributions on DISH DBS’ capital stock or repurchase DISH DBS’ capital stock; (iv) make certain investments; (v) create liens; (vi) enter into certain transactions with affiliates; (vii) merge or consolidate with another company; and (viii) transfer or sell assets. The indentures related to our outstanding DISH Network and DISH DBS senior secured notes contain restrictive covenants that, among other things, impose limitations on our ability and certain of our subsidiaries to: (i) incur additional indebtedness; (ii) enter into sale and leaseback transactions; (iii) pay dividends or make distributions on our capital stock or repurchase our capital stock; (iv) make certain investments of spectrum collateral; (v) create liens; (vi) enter into certain transactions with affiliates; (vii) merge or consolidate with another company; and (viii) transfer or sell assets. Should we fail to comply with these covenants, all or a portion of the debt under the senior notes, senior secured notes and our other long-term debt could become immediately payable. The senior notes and senior secured notes also provide that the debt may be required to be prepaid if certain change-in-control events occur. In addition, the Convertible Notes provide that, if a “fundamental change” (as defined in the related indenture) occurs, holders may require us to repurchase for cash all or part of their Convertible Notes. As of the date of filing of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, we, DISH Network and DISH DBS were in compliance with the covenants and restrictions related to our respective long-term debt.
Hughes Satellite Systems Corporation
The indentures related to our outstanding senior notes issued by Hughes Satellite Systems Corporation (“HSSC”) contain restrictive covenants that, among other things, impose limitations on the ability of HSSC and its restricted subsidiaries to: (i) incur additional indebtedness; (ii) pay dividends or make distributions on HSSC’s capital stock or repurchase HSSC’s capital stock; (iii) allow to exist certain restrictions on such subsidiaries’ ability to pay dividends, make distributions, make other payments, or transfer assets; (iv) make certain investments; (v) create liens; (vi) enter into certain transactions with affiliates; (vii) merge or consolidate with another company; and (viii) transfer or sell assets. As of the date of filing of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, we and HSSC were in compliance with the covenants and restrictions related to our respective long-term debt.
Other
We are also vulnerable to fraud, particularly in the acquisition of new subscribers, which includes the sale of wireless devices. While we are addressing the impact of subscriber fraud through a number of actions, there can be no assurance that we will not continue to experience fraud or that any fraud we have experienced does not accelerate, which could impact our subscriber growth and churn. Economic weakness may create greater incentive for signal theft, piracy and subscriber fraud, which could lead to higher subscriber churn and reduced revenue.
Obligations and Future Capital Requirements
Contractual Obligations
See Note 15 in the Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further information.
Future Capital Requirements
We expect to fund our future working capital, capital expenditures, other investments and debt service requirements for the next twelve months from cash generated from operations, existing cash, cash equivalents and marketable investment securities balances and cash generated through raising additional capital. We may need to make significant additional investments to, among other things, continue our 5G Network Deployment and further commercialize, build-out and integrate our Wireless spectrum licenses and related assets. The amount of capital required to fund our future working capital, capital expenditure and other investment needs varies and we may need to raise additional capital, depending on, among other things, the rate at which we complete our 5G Network Deployment, the potential purchase of additional wireless spectrum licenses and the rate at which we acquire new subscribers and the cost of subscriber acquisition and retention. Certain of our capital expenditures for 2025 are expected to be driven by the rate of our 5G Network Deployment as well as costs associated with subscriber premises equipment. These expenditures are necessary for our 5G Network Deployment as well as to operate and maintain our DISH TV services. Consequently, we consider certain of them to be non-discretionary.
Our capital expenditures vary depending on, among other things, the number of satellites leased or under construction at any point in time and could increase materially as a result of increased competition, significant satellite failures or economic weakness and uncertainty. Our DISH TV subscriber base has been declining and there can be no assurance that our DISH TV subscriber base will not continue to decline and that the pace of such decline will not accelerate. In the event that our DISH TV subscriber base continues to decline, it will have a material adverse long-term effect on our cash flow.
We have and expect to continue to incur expenditures in 2025 related to our 5G Network Deployment, including, but not limited to, capital expenditures associated with our 5G Network Deployment and the potential purchase of additional wireless spectrum licenses, including any potential Northstar Re-Auction Payment and SNR Re-Auction Payment for the AWS-3 licenses retained by the FCC. The amount of capital required will also depend on, among other things, our available liquidity, the growth of our Wireless segment and the levels of investment necessary to support potential strategic initiatives that may arise from time to time. These factors, including, but not limited to, a reduction in our available future cash flows as a result of our 5G Network Deployment, may require us to raise additional capital in the future, which may not be available on favorable terms or at all.
Volatility in the financial markets has made it more difficult at times for issuers of high-yield indebtedness, such as us, to access capital markets at favorable terms or at all. These developments may have a significant effect on our cost of financing and our liquidity position.
Wireless Segment - 5G Network Deployment
See Note 15 in the Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further information.
Availability of Credit and Effect on Liquidity
The ability to raise capital has generally existed for us despite economic weakness and uncertainty. While modest fluctuations in the cost of capital will not likely impact our current operational plans, significant fluctuations could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Backlog
See “Broadband and Satellite Services Segment” above for further information.
Critical Accounting Estimates
The preparation of the consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates, judgments and assumptions that affect amounts reported therein. Management bases its estimates, judgments and assumptions on historical experience and on various other factors that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. Actual results may differ from previously estimated amounts and such differences may be material to our consolidated financial statements. Estimates and assumptions are reviewed periodically and the effects of revisions are reflected prospectively in the period they occur. The following represent what we believe are the critical accounting policies that may involve a high degree of estimation, judgment and complexity. For a summary of our significant accounting policies, including those discussed below, see Note 2 in the Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Income Taxes
Our income tax policy is to record the estimated future tax effects of temporary differences between the tax bases of assets and liabilities and amounts reported in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets, as well as operating loss and tax credit carryforwards. Determining necessary valuation allowances requires us to make assessments about the timing of future events, including the probability of expected future taxable income and available tax planning opportunities. We periodically evaluate our need for a valuation allowance based on both historical evidence, including trends, and future expectations in each reporting period. Any such valuation allowance is recorded in either “Income tax (provision) benefit, net” on our Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss) or “Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)” within “Stockholders’ Equity (Deficit)” on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. Future performance could have a significant effect on the realization of tax benefits, or reversals of valuation allowances, as reported in our consolidated results of operations.
Management evaluates the recognition and measurement of uncertain tax positions based on applicable tax law, regulations, case law, administrative rulings and pronouncements and the facts and circumstances surrounding the tax position. Changes in our estimates related to the recognition and measurement of the amount recorded for uncertain tax positions could result in significant changes in our “Income tax provision (benefit), net,” which could be material to our consolidated results of operations.
Although we believe our assumptions, judgments and estimates are reasonable, changes in tax laws or our interpretation of tax laws and the resolution of any tax audits could significantly impact the amounts provided for income taxes in our consolidated financial statements.
Contingent Liabilities
A significant amount of management judgment is required in determining when, or if, an accrual should be recorded for a contingency and the amount of such accrual. Estimates generally are developed in consultation with counsel and are based on an analysis of potential outcomes. Due to the uncertainty of determining the likelihood of a future event occurring and the potential financial statement impact of such an event, it is possible that upon further development or resolution of a contingent matter, a charge could be recorded in a future period to “Selling, general and administrative expenses” or “Litigation expense” on our Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss) that would be material to our consolidated results of operations and financial condition.
New Accounting Pronouncements
See Note 2 in the Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further information.

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ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
Item 7A.QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
Market Risks Associated with Financial Instruments
Our investments and debt are exposed to market risks, discussed below.
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Current Marketable Investment Securities
As of December 31, 2024, our unrestricted cash, cash equivalents and current marketable investment securities had a fair value of $5.547 billion. Of that amount, a total of $5.521 billion was invested in: (a) cash; (b) money market funds; (c) debt instruments of the United States Government and its agencies; (d) commercial paper and corporate notes with an overall average maturity of less than one year and rated in one of the four highest rating categories by at least two nationally recognized statistical rating organizations; and/or (e) instruments with similar risk, duration and credit quality characteristics to the commercial paper and corporate obligations described above. The primary purpose of these investing activities has been to preserve principal until the cash is required to, among other things, continue investing in our business, pursue acquisitions and other strategic transactions, fund ongoing operations, repay debt obligations and expand our business. Consequently, the size of this portfolio can fluctuate significantly as cash is received and used in our business for these or other purposes. The value of this portfolio is negatively impacted by credit losses; however, this risk is mitigated through diversification that limits our exposure to any one issuer.
Interest Rate Risk
A change in interest rates would affect the fair value of our cash, cash equivalents and current marketable investment securities portfolio; however, we normally hold these investments to maturity. Based on our December 31, 2024 current non-strategic investment portfolio of $5.521 billion, a hypothetical 10% change in average interest rates would not have a material impact on the fair value due to the limited duration of our investments.
Our cash, cash equivalents and current marketable investment securities had an average annual rate of return for the year ended December 31, 2024 of 5.3%. A change in interest rates would affect our future annual interest income from this portfolio, since funds would be re-invested at different rates as the instruments mature. A hypothetical 10% decrease in average interest rates during 2024 would result in a decrease of approximately $11 million in annual interest income.
Strategic Marketable Investment Securities
As of December 31, 2024, we held investments in several companies, generally with publicly traded securities, with a fair value of $27 million. These investments, which are held for strategic and financial purposes, are concentrated in a small number of companies, are highly speculative and have historically experienced, and continue to experience volatility. The fair value of these investments are subject to significant fluctuations in fair value and can be significantly impacted by the risk of adverse changes in securities markets generally, as well as risks related to the performance of the companies whose securities we have invested in, risks associated with specific industries and other factors. In general, our strategic marketable investment securities portfolio is not significantly impacted by interest rate fluctuations as it currently consists primarily of equity securities, the value of which is more closely related to factors specific to the underlying business. A hypothetical 10% adverse change in the market price of our public strategic equity investments during 2024 would have resulted in a decrease of $3 million in the fair value of these investments.
Restricted Cash, Cash Equivalents and Marketable Investment Securities
As of December 31, 2024, we had $321 million of restricted cash, cash equivalents and marketable investment securities invested in: (a) cash; (b) money market funds; (c) debt instruments of the United States Government and its agencies; and/or (d) instruments with similar risk, duration and credit quality characteristics to commercial paper. Based on our December 31, 2024 investment portfolio, a hypothetical 10% increase in average interest rates would not have a material impact on the fair value of our restricted cash, cash equivalents and marketable investment securities.
Foreign Currency Exchange Risk
Our international business is conducted in a variety of foreign currencies with our largest exposures being to the Brazilian real, the Indian rupee, European euro and the British pound. Transactions in foreign currencies are converted into U.S. dollars using exchange rates in effect on the dates of the transactions. This exposes us to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates.
Our objective in managing our exposure to foreign currency changes is to reduce earnings and cash flow volatility associated with foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations, primarily resulting from loans to foreign subsidiaries in U.S. dollars. Accordingly, we may enter into foreign currency forward contracts, or take other measures, to mitigate risks associated with foreign currency denominated assets, liabilities, commitments and anticipated foreign currency transactions. As of December 31, 2024, we had foreign currency forward contracts with a notional amount of $1 million in place to partially mitigate foreign currency exchange risk. The estimated fair values of the foreign currency contracts were not material as of December 31, 2024. The impact of a hypothetical 10% adverse change in exchange rates on the carrying amount of the net assets and liabilities of our foreign subsidiaries during 2024 would have resulted in an estimated loss to the cumulative translation adjustment of $32 million as of December 31, 2024.
Debt
As of December 31, 2024, we had debt of $27.092 billion, excluding finance lease obligations and unamortized deferred financing costs and debt discounts, on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. We estimated the fair value of this debt to be approximately $25.631 billion using quoted market prices. The fair value of our debt is affected by fluctuations in interest rates. A hypothetical 10% decrease in assumed interest rates would increase the fair value of our debt by approximately $730 million. To the extent interest rates increase, our future costs of financing would increase at the time of any future financings. As of December 31, 2024, primarily all of our long-term debt consisted of fixed rate indebtedness.
Derivative Financial Instruments
From time to time, we invest in speculative financial instruments, including derivatives. As of December 31, 2024, we did not hold any material derivative financial instruments.

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ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
Item 8.FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
Our consolidated financial statements are included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K beginning on page.

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ITEM 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS
Item 9.CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE
Not applicable.

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ITEM 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
Item 9A.CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
Disclosure controls and procedures
Under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer, we evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) as of the end of the period covered by this report. Based upon that evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of the end of the period covered by this report.
Changes in internal control over financial reporting
There has been no change in our internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) during our most recent fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting. Our internal control over financial reporting is designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles.
Our internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that:
(i) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect our transactions and dispositions of our assets;
(ii) provide reasonable assurance that our transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of our financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that our receipts and expenditures are being made only in accordance with authorizations of our management and our directors; and
(iii) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of our assets that could have a material effect on our financial statements.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with policies or procedures may deteriorate.
Our management conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting based on the framework in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). Based on this evaluation, our management concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2024.
The effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2024 has been audited by KPMG LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their report which appears in Item 15(a) of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

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ITEM 9B. OTHER INFORMATION
Item 9B.OTHER INFORMATION
10b5-1 Trading Arrangements
None of the Company’s directors or Section 16 officers adopted, modified or terminated a Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement or a non-Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement during the Company’s fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2024, as such terms are defined under Item 408(a) of Regulation S-K, except as follows:
On November 26, 2024, Dean Manson, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary, adopted a Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement for the potential sale of up to 30,000 shares (including certain options that expire on April 1, 2034) of our common stock, subject to certain conditions. The arrangement's expiration date is November 25, 2025.
On December 3, 2024, Paul Orban, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, DISH, adopted a Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement for the potential sale of up to 81,211 shares (including certain options that expire on April 1, 2034) of our common stock, subject to certain conditions. The arrangement's expiration date is December 2, 2025.

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ITEM 10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
Item 10.DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
The information required by this Item will be set forth in our Proxy Statement for the 2025 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, which information is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
The information required by this Item with respect to the identity and business experience of our executive officers is set forth under the caption “Information About Our Executive Officers” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

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ITEM 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
Item 11.EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
The information required by this Item will be set forth in our Proxy Statement for the 2025 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, which information is hereby incorporated herein by reference.

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ITEM 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS
Item 12.
SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS
The information required by this Item will be set forth in our Proxy Statement for the 2025 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, which information is hereby incorporated herein by reference.

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ITEM 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS
Item 13.
CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE
The information required by this Item will be set forth in our Proxy Statement for the 2025 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, which information is hereby incorporated herein by reference.

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ITEM 14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES
Item 14.PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES
The information required by this Item will be set forth in our Proxy Statement for the 2025 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, which information is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
PART IV

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ITEM 15. EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES
Item 15.EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES
(a) The following documents are filed as part of this report:
(1) Financial Statements
Page
Report of KPMG LLP, Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
Consolidated Balance Sheets
Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss)
Consolidated Statements of Changes in Stockholders’ Equity (Deficit)
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(2) Financial Statement Schedules
None. All schedules have been included in the consolidated financial statements or notes thereto.
(3) Exhibits
2.1*
Asset Purchase Agreement, dated as of July 26, 2019, by and among T-Mobile US, Inc., Sprint Corporation and DISH Network Corporation (incorporated by reference from Exhibit 2.2 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of DISH Network Corporation filed July 29, 2019).
2.2*
First Amendment to the Asset Purchase Agreement, dated June 17, 2020, by and between DISH Network and NTM (incorporated by reference from Exhibit 99.1 of the Current Report on Form 8-K of DISH Network Corporation filed June 17, 2020).
2.3
Amended and Restated Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of October 2, 2023, by and among EchoStar Corporation, DISH Network Corporation and EAV Corp. (incorporated by reference from Exhibit 2.1 to EchoStar’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on October 3, 2023).*
3.1
Complied Articles of Incorporation of EchoStar Corporation (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to EchoStar Corporation’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, filed February 29, 2024).
3.2
Complied Bylaws of EchoStar Corporation (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to EchoStar Corporation’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, filed February 29, 2024).
4.1*
Specimen Class A Common Stock Certificate of EchoStar Corporation (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to Amendment No. 1 of EchoStar Corporation’s Form 10 filed December 12, 2007, Commission File No. 001-33807).
4.2*
Security Agreement, dated as of June 8, 2011, among EH Holding Corporation (currently known as Hughes Satellite Systems Corporation), the guarantors listed on the signature pages thereto, and U.S. Bank National Association, as successor collateral agent (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to EchoStar Corporation’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed June 9, 2011, Commission File No. 001-33807).
4.3*
Indenture, relating to the 7 3/4% Senior Notes due 2026, dated as of June 13, 2016, among DISH DBS Corporation, the guarantors named on the signature pages thereto and U.S. Bank National Association, as Trustee (incorporated by reference from Exhibit 4.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of DISH Network Corporation filed June 13, 2016).
4.4*
Indenture, relating to the 5.250% Senior Secured Notes, dated as of July 27, 2016, among Hughes Satellite Systems Corporation, the guarantors party thereto, U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee and successor collateral agent (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to EchoStar Corporation’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on July 27, 2016, Commission File No. 001-33807).
4.5*
Indenture, relating to the 6.625% Senior Unsecured Notes, dated as of July 27, 2016, among Hughes Satellite Systems Corporation, the guarantors party thereto and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to EchoStar Corporation’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on July 27, 2016, Commission File No. 001-33807).
4.6*
Additional Secured Party Joinder, dated as of July 27, 2016, among U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee and successor collateral agent, and Hughes Satellite Systems Corporation (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.4 to EchoStar Corporation’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on July 27, 2016, Commission File No. 001-33807).
4.7*
Indenture, relating to the 3 3/8% Convertible Notes due 2026, dated as of August 8, 2016, by and between DISH Network Corporation and U.S. Bank National Association, as Trustee (incorporated by reference from Exhibit 4.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of DISH Network Corporation filed August 8, 2016).
4.8*
Supplemental Indenture relating to Hughes Satellite Systems Corporation’s 5.250% Senior Secured Notes due 2026, dated March 23, 2017, by and among Hughes Satellite Systems Corporation, the guarantors and the supplemental guarantor listed on the signature pages thereto, U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee and successor collateral agent (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.19 to Hughes Satellite Systems Corporation’s Registration Statement on Form S-4, filed April 6, 2017, Commission File No. 333-179121).
4.9*
Supplemental Indenture relating to Hughes Satellite Systems Corporation’s 6.625% Senior Notes due 2026, dated as of March 23, 2017, by and among Hughes Satellite Systems Corporation, the guarantors and the supplemental guarantor listed on the signature pages thereto and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.20 to Hughes Satellite Systems Corporation’s Registration Statement on Form S-4, filed April 6, 2017, Commission File No. 333- 179121).
4.10*
Joinder Agreement, dated as of August 10, 2017, to the Security Agreement dated as of June 8, 2011, by and between HNS Americas, L.L.C., HNS Americas II, L.L.C. and U.S. Bank National Association, as successor collateral agent (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.24 to EchoStar Corporation’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, filed February 22, 2018, Commission File No. 001-33807).
4.11*
Second Supplemental Indenture relating to Hughes Satellite Systems Corporation’s 5.250% Senior Secured Notes due 2026, dated August 10, 2017, by and among Hughes Satellite Systems Corporation, the guarantors and the supplemental guarantor listed on the signature pages thereto, U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee and successor collateral agent (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.25 to EchoStar Corporation’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, filed February 22, 2018, Commission File No. 001-33807).
4.12*
Second Supplemental Indenture relating to Hughes Satellite Systems Corporation’s 6.625% Senior Notes due 2026, dated as of August 10, 2017, by and among Hughes Satellite Systems Corporation, the guarantors and the supplemental guarantor listed on the signature pages thereto and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.26 to EchoStar Corporation’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, filed February 22, 2018, Commission File No. 001-33807).
4.13*
Supplemental Indenture relating to the 7 3/4% Senior Notes due 2026 (incorporated by reference from Exhibit 4.16 to the Annual Report on Form 10-K of DISH DBS Corporation filed March 29, 2018).
4.14*
Joinder Agreement, dated as of June 12, 2019, to the Security Agreement dated as of June 8, 2011, by and between EchoStar BSS Corporation, EchoStar FSS L.L.C. and U.S. Bank National Association, as successor collateral agent (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to EchoStar Corporation’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2019, filed August 8, 2019, Commission File No. 001-33807).
4.15*
Third Supplemental Indenture relating to Hughes Satellite Systems Corporation’s 5.250% Senior Secured Notes due 2026, dated June 12, 2019, by and among Hughes Satellite Systems Corporation, the guarantors and the supplemental guarantors listed on the signature pages thereto, U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee and successor collateral agent (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to EchoStar Corporation’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2019, filed August 8, 2019, Commission File No. 001-33807).
4.16*
Third Supplemental Indenture relating to Hughes Satellite Systems Corporation’s 6.625% Senior Notes due 2026, dated as of June 12, 2019, by and among Hughes Satellite Systems Corporation, the guarantors and the supplemental guarantors listed on the signature pages thereto and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.3 to EchoStar Corporation’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2019, filed August 8, 2019, Commission File No. 001-33807).
4.17*
Indenture, relating to the 7 3/8% Senior Notes due 2028, dated as of July 1, 2020, among DISH DBS Corporation, the guarantors named on the signature pages thereto and U.S. Bank National Association, as Trustee (incorporated by reference from Exhibit 4.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of DISH Network Corporation filed July 1, 2020).
4.18*
Indenture, relating to the 0% Convertible Notes due 2025, dated as of December 21, 2020, by and between DISH Network Corporation and U.S. Bank National Association, as Trustee (incorporated by reference from Exhibit 4.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of DISH Network Corporation filed December 22, 2020).
4.19*
First Supplemental Indenture, relating to the DISH 3.375% Convertible Notes due 2026, dated as of December 29, 2023, among DISH Network Corporation, EchoStar Corporation and U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association (as successor to U.S. Bank National Association), as Trustee (incorporated by reference from Exhibit 4.2 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of EchoStar Corporation filed January 2, 2024).
4.20*
First Supplemental Indenture, relating to the DISH 2.375% Convertible Notes due 2024, dated as of December 29, 2023, among DISH Network Corporation, EchoStar Corporation and U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association (as successor to U.S. Bank National Association), as Trustee (incorporated by reference from Exhibit 4.4 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of EchoStar Corporation filed January 2, 2024).
4.21*
First Supplemental Indenture, relating to the DISH 0% Convertible Notes due 2025, dated as of December 29, 2023, among DISH Network Corporation, EchoStar Corporation and U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association (as successor to U.S. Bank National Association), as Trustee (incorporated by reference from Exhibit 4.6 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of EchoStar Corporation filed January 2, 2024).
4.22*
Indenture, relating to the 5 1/8% Senior Notes due 2029, dated as of May 24, 2021 among DISH DBS Corporation, the guarantors named on the signature pages thereto and U.S. Bank, National Association, as Trustee (incorporated by reference from Exhibit 4.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of DISH Network Corporation filed May 24, 2021).
4.23*
Indenture, relating to the 5 1/4% Senior Secured Notes due 2026 and the 5 3/4% Senior Secured Notes due 2028, dated as of November 26, 2021, among DISH DBS Corporation, the guarantors named on the signature pages thereto and U.S. Bank National Association, as Trustee and Collateral Agent (incorporated by reference from Exhibit 4.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of DISH Network Corporation filed November 26, 2021).
4.24*
Security Agreement, dated as of November 26, 2021, among DISH DBS Corporation, the guarantors named on the signature pages thereto and U.S. Bank National Association, as Collateral Agent (incorporated by reference from Exhibit 4.2 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of DISH Network Corporation filed November 26, 2021).
4.25*
Loan and Security Agreement, dated as of November 26, 2021, between DISH DBS Corporation and DISH Network Corporation (incorporated by reference from Exhibit 4.3 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of DISH Network Corporation filed November 26, 2021).
4.26*
Secured Indenture, relating to the 11.75% Senior Secured Notes due 2027, dated as of November 15, 2022, among DISH Network Corporation, the guarantors named on the signature pages thereto and U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association, as trustee and collateral agent (incorporated by reference from Exhibit 4.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of DISH Network Corporation filed January 26, 2023).
4.27*
Security Agreement, dated as of November 15, 2022, among the secured guarantors named on the signature pages thereto and U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association, as collateral agent (incorporated by reference from Exhibit 4.2 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of DISH Network Corporation filed November 15, 2022).
4.28*
Description of our Capital Stock ((incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.25 to EchoStar Corporations’ Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, filed February 20, 2020, Commission File No. 001-33807).
4.29*
Second Supplemental Indenture relating to DISH Network Corporation’s 0% Convertible Notes due 2025, dated as of November 12, 2024, by and among EchoStar Corporation, DISH Network Corporation and U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association (incorporated by reference from Exhibit 4.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of EchoStar Corporation filed November 14, 2024).
4.30*
Second Supplemental Indenture relating to DISH Network Corporation’s 3.375% Convertible Notes due 2026, dated as of November 12, 2024, by and among EchoStar Corporation, DISH Network Corporation and U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association (incorporated by reference from Exhibit 4.2 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of EchoStar Corporation filed November 14, 2024).
4.31*
Indenture relating to EchoStar Corporation’s 6.75% Senior Spectrum Secured Exchange Notes due 2030, dated as of November 12, 2024, by and among EchoStar Corporation, the guarantors named therein, and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., as trustee and notes collateral agent (incorporated by reference from Exhibit 4.3 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of EchoStar Corporation filed November 14, 2024).
4.32*
Security Agreement relating to EchoStar Corporation’s 6.75% Senior Spectrum Secured Exchange Notes due 2030, dated as of November 12, 2024, by and among the guarantors named therein and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., as notes collateral agent (incorporated by reference from Exhibit 4.4 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of EchoStar Corporation filed November 14, 2024).
4.33*
Pledge Agreement relating to EchoStar Corporation’s 6.75% Senior Spectrum Secured Exchange Notes due 2030, dated as of November 12, 2024, by and among the guarantors named therein and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., as notes collateral agent (incorporated by reference from Exhibit 4.5 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of EchoStar Corporation filed November 14, 2024).
4.34*
Indenture relating to EchoStar Corporation’s 3.875% Convertible Senior Secured Notes due 2030, dated as of November 12, 2024, by and among EchoStar Corporation, the guarantors named therein, and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., as trustee and notes collateral agent (incorporated by reference from Exhibit 4.6 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of EchoStar Corporation filed November 14, 2024).
4.35*
Security Agreement relating to EchoStar Corporation’s 3.875% Convertible Senior Secured Notes due 2030, dated as of November 12, 2024, by and among the guarantors named therein and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., as notes collateral agent (incorporated by reference from Exhibit 4.7 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of EchoStar Corporation filed November 14, 2024).
4.36*
Pledge Agreement relating to EchoStar Corporation’s 3.875% Convertible Senior Secured Notes due 2030, dated as of November 12, 2024, by and among the guarantors named therein and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., as notes collateral agent (incorporated by reference from Exhibit 4.8 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of EchoStar Corporation filed November 14, 2024).
4.37*
Notes Purchase Agreement relating to EchoStar Corporation’s 10.750% Senior Spectrum Secured Notes due 2029, dated as of November 8, 2024, by and among EchoStar Corporation, the guarantors named therein and the purchasers named therein (incorporated by reference from Exhibit 4.9 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of EchoStar Corporation filed November 14, 2024).
4.38*
Notes Purchase Agreement relating to EchoStar Corporation's 3.875% Convertible Senior Secured Notes due 2030, dated as of November 8, 2024, by and among EchoStar Corporation, the guarantors named therein and the purchasers named therein (incorporated by reference from Exhibit 4.10 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of EchoStar Corporation filed November 14, 2024).
4.39*
Indenture relating to EchoStar Corporation’s 10.750% Senior Spectrum Secured Notes due 2029, dated as of November 12, 2024, by and among EchoStar Corporation, the guarantors named therein, and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., as trustee and notes collateral agent (incorporated by reference from Exhibit 4.11 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of EchoStar Corporation filed November 14, 2024).
4.40*
Security Agreement relating to EchoStar Corporation’s 10.750% Senior Spectrum Secured Notes due 2029, dated as of November 12, 2024, by and among the guarantors named therein and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., as notes collateral agent (incorporated by reference from Exhibit 4.12 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of EchoStar Corporation filed November 14, 2024).
4.41*
Pledge Agreement relating to EchoStar Corporation’s 10.750% Senior Spectrum Secured Notes due 2029, dated as of November 12, 2024, by and among the guarantors named therein and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., as notes collateral agent (incorporated by reference from Exhibit 4.13 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of EchoStar Corporation filed November 14, 2024).
4.42*
First Lien Intercreditor Agreement, dated as of November 12, 2024, by and among the guarantors named therein and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., as trustee and notes collateral agent (incorporated by reference from Exhibit 4.14 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of EchoStar Corporation filed November 14, 2024).
4.43*
Form of Second Lien Intercreditor Agreement (incorporated by reference from Exhibit 4.15 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of EchoStar Corporation filed November 14, 2024).
10.1*
Form of EchoStar Corporation 2008 Class B CEO Stock Option Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.25 to Amendment No. 1 of EchoStar Corporation’s Form 10 filed December 12, 2007, Commission File No. 001-33807).**
10.2*
Amended and Restated EchoStar Corporation 2008 Stock Incentive Plan (the “2008 Stock Incentive Plan”) (incorporated by reference to EchoStar Corporation’s Definitive Proxy Statement on Form 14, filed September 18, 2014, Commission File No. 001-33807).**
10.3*
Amended and Restated EchoStar Corporation 2008 Non-Employee Director Stock Option Plan (the “2008 Non-Employee Director Stock Option Plan”) (incorporated by reference to EchoStar Corporation’s Definitive Proxy Statement on Form 14, filed March 31, 2009, Commission File No. 001-33807).**
10.4*
Form of Restricted Stock Unit Agreement for 2008 Stock Incentive Plan - Executive or Director (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to EchoStar Corporation’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2015, filed November 6, 2015, Commission File No. 001-33807).**
10.5*
Form of Stock Option Agreement for 2008 Stock Incentive Plan (1999) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.39 to EchoStar Corporation’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015, filed February 24, 2016, Commission File No. 001-33807).**
10.6*
Form of Stock Option Agreement for 2008 Stock Incentive Plan - Employee (2008) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.40 to EchoStar Corporation’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015, filed February 24, 2016, Commission File No. 001-33807).**
10.7*
Form of Stock Option Agreement for 2008 Stock Incentive Plan - Executive (2008) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.41 to EchoStar Corporation’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015, filed February 24, 2016, Commission File No. 001-33807).**
10.8*
Form of Stock Option Agreement for 2008 Stock Incentive Plan - Employee (2014) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.42 to EchoStar Corporation’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015, filed February 24, 2016, Commission File No. 001-33807).**
10.9*
Form of Stock Option Agreement for 2008 Stock Incentive Plan - Executive (2014) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.43 to EchoStar Corporation’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015, filed February 24, 2016, Commission File No. 001-33807). **
10.10*
Form of Non-Employee Director Stock Option Agreement for 2008 Non-Employee Director Stock Option Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.44 to EchoStar Corporation’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015, filed February 24, 2016, Commission File No. 001-33807). **
10.11*
Form of Restricted Stock Unit Agreement for 2008 Stock Incentive Plan - Executive or Director (2011) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.45 to EchoStar Corporation’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015, filed February 24, 2016, Commission File No. 001-33807).**
10.12*
EchoStar Corporation 2017 Stock Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to EchoStar Corporation’s Definitive Proxy Statement on Form 14, filed March 23, 2017, Commission File No. 001-33807).**
10.13*
EchoStar Corporation 2017 Non-Employee Director Stock Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to EchoStar Corporation’s Definitive Proxy Statement on Form 14, filed March 23, 2017, Commission File No. 001-33807).**
10.14*
Amended and Restated EchoStar Corporation 2017 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (incorporated by reference to EchoStar Corporation’s Definitive Proxy Statement on Form 14, filed March 23, 2017, Commission File No. 001-33807).**
10.15*
Amendment No. 1 to EchoStar Corporation 2017 Amended and Restated Employee Stock Purchase Plan dated October 20, 2022 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.5 to EchoStar Corporation’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2022, filed November 3, 2022, Commission File No. 001-33807)**
10.16*
EchoStar Non-Qualified Plan -- Executive Plan and Adoption Agreement, as amended (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to EchoStar Corporation’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2017, filed August 9, 2017, Commission File No. 001-33807).**
10.17*
Form of Stock Option Agreement for the EchoStar Corporation 2017 Stock Incentive Plan - Employee (2017) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to EchoStar Corporation’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2017, filed August 9, 2017, Commission File No. 001-33807).**
10.18*
Form of Stock Option Agreement for the EchoStar Corporation 2017 Stock Incentive Plan - Executive (2017) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to EchoStar Corporation’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2017, filed August 9, 2017, Commission File No. 001-33807). **
10.19*
Form of Non-Employee Director Stock Option Agreement for the EchoStar Corporation 2017 Non-Employee Director Stock Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.4 to EchoStar Corporation’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2017, filed August 9, 2017, Commission File No. 001-33807).**
10.20*
Form of Restricted Stock Unit Agreement for the EchoStar Corporation 2017 Stock Incentive Plan - Executive (2017) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.5 to EchoStar Corporation’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2017, filed August 9, 2017, Commission File No. 001-33807).**
10.21*
Form of Stock Option Agreement for the EchoStar Corporation 2017 Stock Incentive Plan - Employee (2022) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to EchoStar Corporation’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2022, filed November 3, 2022, Commission File No. 001-33807)**
10.22*
Form of Stock Option Agreement for the EchoStar Corporation 2017 Stock Incentive Plan - Executive (2022) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to EchoStar Corporation’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2022, filed November 3, 2022, Commission File No. 001-33807) **
10.23*
Form of Non-Employee Director Stock Option Agreement for the EchoStar Corporation 2017 Non-Employee Director Stock Incentive Plan (2022) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to EchoStar Corporation’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2022, filed November 3, 2022, Commission File No. 001-33807)**
10.24*
Form of Restricted Stock Unit Agreement for the EchoStar Corporation 2017 Stock Incentive Plan - Executive (2022) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.4 to EchoStar Corporation’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2022, filed November 3, 2022, Commission File No. 001-33807) **
10.25*
Form of Stock Option Agreement for Hamid Akhavan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to EchoStar Corporation’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2022, filed May 5, 2022, Commission File No. 001-33807)**
10.26*
Form of Restricted Stock Unit Agreement for Hamid Akhavan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to EchoStar Corporation’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2022, filed May 5, 2022, Commission File No. 001-33807)**
10.27*
Amendment to EchoStar Non-Qualified Plan -- Executive Plan and Adoption Agreement, dated November 1, 2018 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.35 to EchoStar Corporation’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018, filed February 21, 2019, Commission File No. 001-33807).**
10.28*
Amended and Restated EchoStar Corporation Executive Officer Bonus Incentive Plan, dated as of April 30, 2019 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to EchoStar Corporation’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2019, filed August 8, 2019, Commission File No. 001-33807).**
10.29*
Amendment to EchoStar Non-Qualified Plan - Executive Plan and Adoption Agreement, dated October 21, 2019 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to EchoStar Corporation’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2020, filed November 5, 2020, Commission File No. 001-33807). **
10.30*
Amendment No. 1 to EchoStar Corporation 2017 Non-Employee Director Stock Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to EchoStar Corporation’s Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A, filed March 17, 2021, Commission File No. 001- 33807). **
10.31*
Second Amended and Restated EchoStar Corporation Executive Officer Bonus Incentive Plan, dated as of November 2, 2021 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.30 to EchoStar Corporation’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, filed February 24, 2022, Commission File No. 001-33807). **
10.32*
2002 Class B CEO Stock Option Plan (incorporated by reference from Appendix A to DISH Network Corporation’s Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A dated April 9, 2002). **
10.33*
Nonemployee Director Stock Option Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.6 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of DISH Network Corporation filed July 7, 2005). **
10.34*
DISH Network Corporation 2009 Stock Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Appendix A to DISH Network Corporation’s Definitive Proxy Statement on Form 14A filed September 19, 2014). **
10.35*
Amended and Restated DISH Network Corporation 2001 Nonemployee Director Stock Option Plan (incorporated by reference to Appendix B to DISH Network Corporation’s Definitive Proxy Statement on Form 14A filed March 31, 2009). **
10.36*
Amended and Restated DISH Network Corporation 1999 Stock Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Appendix C to DISH Network Corporation’s Definitive Proxy Statement on Form 14A filed March 31, 2009). **
10.37*
Guaranty of Certain Obligations to FCC, dated as of October 1, 2015, made by DISH Network Corporation in favor of the Federal Communications Commission (Northstar Wireless) (incorporated by reference from Exhibit 10.2 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of DISH Network Corporation filed October 2, 2015).
10.38*
Guaranty of Certain Obligations to FCC, dated as of October 1, 2015, made by DISH Network Corporation in favor of the Federal Communications Commission (SNR Wireless) (incorporated by reference from Exhibit 10.4 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of DISH Network Corporation filed October 2, 2015).
10.39*
Form of Base/Additional Note Hedge Transaction Confirmation (incorporated by reference from Exhibit 10.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of DISH Network Corporation filed August 8, 2016).
10.40*
Form of Base/Additional Warrant Transaction Confirmation (incorporated by reference from Exhibit 10.2 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of DISH Network Corporation filed August 8, 2016).
10.41*
Description of the 2017 Long-Term Incentive Plan dated December 2, 2016 (incorporated by reference from the Current Report on Form 8-K of DISH Network Corporation filed December 8, 2016). **
10.42*
Description of the 2019 Long-Term Incentive Plan dated August 17, 2018 (incorporated by reference from the Current Report on Form 8-K of DISH Network Corporation filed August 23, 2018). **
10.43*
Incentive Stock Option Agreement (incorporated by reference from Exhibit 10.1 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of DISH Network Corporation filed November 6, 2020). **
10.44*
Non-Qualified Stock Option Agreement (incorporated by reference from Exhibit 10.2 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of DISH Network Corporation filed November 6, 2020). **
10.45*
Restricted Stock Unit Agreement (incorporated by reference from Exhibit 10.3 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of DISH Network Corporation filed November 6, 2020). **
10.46*
Master Network Service Agreement, dated as of July 1, 2020, by and among DISH Network Corporation, DISH Purchasing Corporation, and T-Mobile USA, Inc. (incorporated by reference from Exhibit 10.4 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of DISH Network Corporation filed November 6, 2020).
10.47*
License Purchase Agreement, dated as of July 1, 2020, by and among DISH Network Corporation and T-Mobile USA, Inc. (incorporated by reference from Exhibit 10.5 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of DISH Network Corporation filed November 6, 2020).
10.48*
Network Services Agreement, dated as of July 14, 2021, by and among DISH Wireless L.L.C. and AT&T Mobility LLC (incorporated by reference from Exhibit 10.1 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of DISH Network Corporation filed November 4, 2021).***
10.49*
Amended and Restated Support Agreement, dated as of October 2, 2023, by and among DISH Network, EchoStar and the Ergen Stockholders (attached to the prospectus which forms a part of this registration statement as Annex B) (incorporated by reference from Exhibit 10.1 to the Amendment No. 1 on Form S-4 of EchoStar filed on November 6, 2023).
10.50*
Letter Agreement, dated as of October 2, 2023, by and between EchoStar and Hamid Akhavan (incorporated by reference from Exhibit 10.2 to the Amendment No. 1 on Form S-4 of EchoStar filed on November 6, 2023).**
10.51*
Letter Agreement, dated as of October 2, 2023, by and between EchoStar and John W. Swieringa (incorporated by reference from Exhibit 10.3 to the Amendment No. 1 on Form S-4 of EchoStar filed on November 6, 2023).**
10.52*
Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of December 31, 2024, among EchoStar Corporation, Charles W. Ergen, Cantey M. Ergen and the other signatories thereto (incorporated by reference from Exhibit 10.1 to EchoStar’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on January 2, 2024).
10.53*
Form of Warrant Amendment Letter Agreement (incorporated by reference from Exhibit 4.8 to EchoStar’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on January 2, 2024).
10.54*
Form of Warrant Guarantee (incorporated by reference from Exhibit 4.9 to EchoStar’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on January 2, 2024).
10.55*
Form of Note Hedge Amendment Letter Agreement (incorporated by reference from Exhibit 4.11 to EchoStar’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on January 2, 2024).
19☐
EchoStar Corporation’s Insider Trading Policy.
21☐
Subsidiaries of EchoStar Corporation.
22◻
List of Subsidiary Guarantors.
23☐
Consent of KPMG LLP, Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.
24☐
Power of Attorney authorizing Dean A. Manson as signatory for Charles W. Ergen, Kathleen Q. Abernathy, George R. Brokaw, Stephen J. Bye, James DeFranco, R. Stanton Dodge, Cantey M. Ergen, Lisa W. Hershman, Tom A. Ortolf and William David Wade.
31.1☐
Section 302 Certification of Chief Executive Officer.
31.2☐
Section 302 Certification of Principal Financial Officer.
32.1☐
Section 906 Certification of Chief Executive Officer.
32.2☐
Section 906 Certification of Principal Financial Officer.
97.1*
EchoStar Corporation’s Clawback Policy. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 97.1 to EchoStar Corporation’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, filed February 29, 2024).
99.1*
Department of Justice CDMA Letter to Defendants dated July 9, 2021 (incorporated by reference from Exhibit 99.1 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of DISH Network Corporation filed August 9, 2021).
101☐
The following materials from the Annual Report on Form 10-K of EchoStar Corporation for the year ended December 31, 2024, filed on February 27, 2025, formatted in Inline eXtensible Business Reporting Language (“iXBRL”): (i) Consolidated Balance Sheets, (ii) Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss), (iii) Consolidated Statement of Changes in Stockholders’ Equity (Deficit), (iv) Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows, and (v) related notes to these financial statements.
104☐
Cover Page Interactive Data File (the cover page XBRL tags are embedded in the Inline XBRL document.
☐Filed herewith.
*Incorporated by reference.
**Constitutes a management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement.
***Certain portions of the exhibit have been omitted and separately filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission with a request for confidential treatment.