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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
Form 10-K
(Mark One)
☒ ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
☐ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2023
OR
FOR THE TRANSITION PERIOD FROM TO .
Commission File Number: 001-39144
DISH Network Corporation
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Nevada
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)
88-0336997
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
9601 South Meridian Boulevard
Englewood, Colorado
(Address of principal executive offices)
80112
(Zip Code)
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (303) 723-1000
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
None
None
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☐ No ☒
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes ☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12
months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. (Note: The
registrant is a voluntary filer of reports under Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.) Yes ⌧ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T
(§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ⌧ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth
company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange
Act.
Large accelerated filer ☐
Non-accelerated filer ⌧
Accelerated filer ☐
Smaller reporting company ☐
Emerging growth company ☐
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial
accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial
reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☐
If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the
correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the
registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). Yes ☐ No ☒
As of June 30, 2023, the aggregate market value of Class A common stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant was $1.6 billion based upon the closing price of the Class A
Common Stock as reported on the Nasdaq Global Select Market as of the close of business on the last trading day of the month. As a result of the merger with EchoStar
Corporation effective December 31, 2023, all of the outstanding shares of the registrant are held by EchoStar.
As of March 11, 2024, the registrant’s outstanding common stock consisted of 1,000 shares of common stock, $0 par value per share.
The registrant meets the conditions set forth in General Instructions (I)(1)(a) and (b) of Form 10-K and is therefore filing this Annual Report on Form 10-K with the
reduced disclosure format.
The following documents are incorporated into this Form 10-K by reference: None
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
PART I
Disclosure Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Item 1. Business
Item 1A. Risk Factors
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments
Item 1C. Cybersecurity
Item 2.
Item 3.
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures
Properties
Legal Proceedings
PART II
Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of
Equity Securities
[Reserved]
Item 6.
Item 7. Management’s Narrative Analysis of Results of Operations
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
Item 8.
Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements With Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure
Item 9A. Controls and Procedures
Item 9B. Other Information
Item 9C. Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections
Financial Statements and Supplementary Data
PART III
Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance
Item 11. Executive Compensation
Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters
Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence
Item 14. Principal Accounting Fees and Services
PART IV
Item 15. Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules
Item 16. Form 10-K Summary
Signatures
Index to Consolidated Financial Statements
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6
30
30
31
32
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33
56
57
57
57
58
58
*
*
*
*
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60
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65
F-1
*This item has been omitted pursuant to the reduced disclosure format as set forth in General Instructions (I) (2) (a) and (c)
of Form 10-K.
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DISCLOSURE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Unless otherwise required by the context, in this report, the words “DISH Network,” the “Company,” “we,” “our” and “us”
refer to DISH Network Corporation and its subsidiaries, “EchoStar” refers to EchoStar Corporation, our parent company,
and its subsidiaries, including us, and “DISH DBS” refers to DISH DBS Corporation, a wholly-owned, indirect subsidiary
of DISH Network, and its subsidiaries.
This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, in particular, statements about our plans, objectives and strategies, growth
opportunities in our industries and businesses, our expectations regarding future results, financial condition, liquidity and
capital requirements, our estimates regarding the impact of regulatory developments and legal proceedings, and other
trends and projections. Forward-looking statements are not historical facts and may be identified by words such as
“future,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “goal,” “seek,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “predict,” “will,” “would,”
“could,” “can,” “may,” and similar terms. These forward-looking statements are based on information available to us as of
the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K and represent management’s current views and assumptions. Forward-
looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, events or results and involve known and unknown risks,
uncertainties and other factors, which may be beyond our control. Accordingly, actual performance, events or results could
differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including,
but not limited to, those summarized below:
SUMMARY OF RISK FACTORS
Risks Related to the Integration
● Although we expect that the Merger will result in synergies and other benefits, those synergies and benefits may
not be realized in the amounts anticipated, or may not be realized within the expected timeframe, or at all, and
risks associated with the foregoing may also result from any extended delay in the Integration.
Competition and Economic Risks
● We face intense and increasing competition from providers of video, broadband and/or wireless services.
Changing consumer behavior and new technologies in our Pay-TV and/or Wireless 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.
● We face certain risks competing in the wireless services industry and operating a facilities-based wireless services
business.
● 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.
● Through the MNSA and the NSA, we depend 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.
● We compete with the MNOs whose networks we 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.
● 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.
Operational and Service Delivery Risks
● Any deterioration in our operational performance, subscriber activations and churn rate and subscriber
satisfaction could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
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● 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 have limited satellite capacity and any failures or reduced capacity, caused by, among other things,
operational and environmental risks, could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of
operations.
● 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.
● 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.
● We depend on independent third parties to solicit orders for our services that represent a meaningful percentage of
our total gross new subscriber activations.
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.
● Our business growth and customer retention strategies rely in part on the work of technically skilled employees.
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 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.
● 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.
Risks Related to Cybersecurity
● We have experienced and may experience in the future consistent cyber-attacks and attempts to gain unauthorized
access to our systems and any failure or inadequacy of our information technology infrastructure and
communications systems or those of third parties that we use in our operations could disrupt or harm our
business.
● The confidentiality, integrity, and availability of our services and products depends on the continuing operation of
our information technology and other enabling systems.
Acquisition and Capital Structure Risks
● We have substantial debt outstanding and may incur additional debt and covenants in our Indentures could limit
our ability to undertake certain types of activities and adversely affect our liquidity.
● 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.
● We have made substantial investments to acquire certain wireless spectrum licenses and other related assets, and
we may be unable to realize a return on these assets.
● We will need additional capital, which may not be available on favorable terms, to fund current obligations,
continue investing in our business and to finance acquisitions and other strategic transactions.
● Our parent, EchoStar, is controlled by one principal stockholder, who is also our Chairman.
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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.
Other factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, those discussed under the
caption “Risk Factors” in Part I, Item 1A in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, those discussed in “Management’s
Narrative Analysis of Results of Operations” herein and those discussed in other documents we file with the SEC. All
cautionary statements made or referred to herein should be read as being applicable to all forward-looking statements
wherever they appear. Investors should consider the risks and uncertainties described or referred to herein and should not
place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements speak only as of the date made,
and we expressly disclaim any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.
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Item 1.
BUSINESS
OVERVIEW
PART I
DISH Network is a holding company that was organized in 1995 as a corporation under the laws of the State of Nevada.
Its subsidiaries, together with DISH Network Corporation, are referred to as “DISH Network,” the “Company,” “we,” “us”
and/or “our,” unless otherwise required by the context. DISH Network is a wholly-owned subsidiary of EchoStar
Corporation (“EchoStar”), a publicly traded company listed 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. We refer readers of this report to EchoStar’s Annual Report on Form
10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023.
Recent Developments
Merger with EchoStar
On December 31, 2023, EchoStar 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 EchoStar,
EAV Corp., a Nevada corporation and its wholly owned subsidiary (“Merger Sub”), and DISH Network, pursuant to which
EchoStar 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 EchoStar’s wholly owned subsidiary.
On the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Amended Merger Agreement, on December 31, 2023, at 11:59
p.m. ET (the “Effective Time”), each share of DISH Network Class A common stock, par value $0.01 per share (“DISH
Network Class A Common Stock”) and DISH Network Class C common stock, par value $0.01 per share (“DISH
Network Class C Common Stock”) outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time, was converted into the right to
receive a number of validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable shares of EchoStar Class A common stock, par value
$0.001 per share (“EchoStar Class A Common Stock”) equal to 0.350877 (the “Exchange Ratio”). On the terms and
subject to the conditions set forth in the Amended Merger Agreement, at the Effective Time, each share of DISH Network
Class B common stock, par value $0.01 per share (“DISH Network Class B Common Stock” and, together with DISH
Network Class A Common Stock and DISH Network Class C Common Stock, “DISH Network Common Stock”),
outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time was converted into the right to receive a number of validly issued,
fully paid and non-assessable shares of EchoStar Class B common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “EchoStar
Class B Common Stock” and, together with the EchoStar Class A Common Stock, the “EchoStar Common Stock”), equal
to the Exchange Ratio.
Any shares of DISH Network Common Stock that were held in DISH Network’s treasury or held directly by EchoStar or
Merger Sub immediately prior to the Effective Time were cancelled and cease to exist and no consideration was paid in
respect thereof. All shares of the DISH Network Class A Common Stock were delisted from NASDAQ and deregistered
under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
The EchoStar Common Stock issued to the Ergen DISH Stockholders (as defined in the Amended Merger Agreement) as
Merger consideration was issued through a private placement exemption from registration under the Securities Act of 1933,
as amended (the “Securities Act”). At the Effective Time, each share of DISH Network Class A Common Stock owned by
the Ergen DISH Stockholders immediately prior to the Effective Time was converted into the right to receive a number of
shares of EchoStar Class A Common Stock equal to the Exchange Ratio, and (b) each share of DISH Network Class B
Common Stock owned by the Ergen DISH Stockholders immediately prior to the Effective Time was converted into the
right to receive a number of shares of EchoStar Class B Common Stock equal to the Exchange Ratio.
Concurrently with the entry into the Amended Merger Agreement, the Ergen EchoStar Stockholders (as defined in the
Amended Merger Agreement), the Ergen DISH Stockholders (collectively, the “Ergen Stockholders”), EchoStar and DISH
Network entered into an amended and restated support agreement (the “Amended Support Agreement”).
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In connection with the completion of the Merger, and pursuant to the Amended and Restated Support Agreement, on
December 31, 2023, EchoStar and the Ergen Stockholders entered into a registration rights agreement (the “Registration
Rights Agreement”). The Registration Rights Agreement provides the Ergen Stockholders, and their affiliates who become
parties thereto, with certain registration rights relating to the shares of EchoStar Common Stock, which they beneficially
own, including (i) the right to demand shelf registration as well as registration on long and short form registration
statements and (ii) “piggyback” registration rights to be included in future registered offerings by us of our equity
securities, in each case, subject to certain requirements and customary conditions. The Registration Rights Agreement sets
forth customary registration procedures, including an agreement by EchoStar to make appropriate officers available to
participate in roadshow presentations and cooperate as reasonably requested in connection with any underwritten offerings.
EchoStar also agreed to indemnify the Ergen Stockholders and their affiliates with respect to liabilities resulting from
untrue statements or omissions in any registration statement used in any such registration, other than untrue statements or
omissions based on or contained in information furnished to EchoStar for use in a registration statement by a participating
stockholder.
For more information and a copy of the Amended Merger Agreement, the Amended Support Agreement and the
Registration Rights Agreement, see the Form 8-K of EchoStar filed on October 3, 2023 and the Form 8-K of EchoStar filed
on January 2, 2024.
With the Merger complete, we are currently focused on the process of integrating our and EchoStar’s business in a manner
that facilitates synergies, cost savings, growth opportunities and achieves other anticipated benefits (the “Integration”).
Segments
DISH Network Corporation is a holding company. Its subsidiaries operate three primary business segments: (1) Pay-TV;
(2) Retail Wireless and (3) 5G Network Deployment.
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, Federal Communications Commission (“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, 2023, we had 8.526 million Pay-TV
subscribers in the United States, including 6.471 million DISH TV subscribers and 2.055 million SLING TV subscribers.
Retail Wireless
We offer nationwide prepaid and postpaid retail wireless services to subscribers primarily under our Boost Mobile®, Boost
postpaid and Gen Mobile® brands (“Retail Wireless” services), as well as a competitive portfolio of wireless devices.
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
financing arrangements for wireless devices.
We are currently operating our Retail Wireless segment primarily as a mobile virtual network operator (“MVNO”) as we
continue our 5G Network Deployment and commercialize our 5G Network, as defined below. We are transitioning our
Retail Wireless segment to a mobile network operator (“MNO”) as our 5G Network becomes commercially available and
we are currently activating subscribers onto our 5G Network in markets where we have reached voice over new radio
(“VoNR”). As an MVNO, today we depend 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.
Under the NSA, we expect AT&T will become our primary network services provider. As of December 31, 2023, we had
7.378 million Wireless subscribers.
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5G Network Deployment
We have invested a total of over $30 billion in Wireless spectrum licenses, which includes over $10 billion in initial
noncontrolling investments in certain entities. The $30 billion of investments related to Wireless spectrum licenses does
not include $9 billion of capitalized interest related to the carrying value of such licenses. See Note 2 and Note 13 in the
Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further information. We plan 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 deploy a
facilities-based 5G broadband network (our “5G Network”) capable of serving increasingly larger portions of the U.S.
population at different deadlines, including 20% of the U.S. population by June 2022 and 70% of the U.S. population by
June 2023.
On June 14, 2022, we announced we had successfully reached our 20% population coverage requirement. In addition, we
announced and certified to the FCC that as of June 14, 2023, we offer 5G broadband service to over 73% of the U.S.
population, or more than 246 million Americans nationwide. On September 29, 2023, the FCC confirmed we have 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 confirmed using the drive test methodology agreed to and approved by the FCC and overseen by an
independent monitor. We now have the largest commercial deployment of 5G VoNR in the world reaching approximately
200 million Americans and 5G broadband service reaching approximately 250 million Americans.
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 powered by Google Assistant, 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.
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RETAIL WIRELESS
Business Strategy - Retail Wireless
We offer nationwide prepaid and postpaid Retail Wireless services to subscribers primarily under our Boost Mobile, Boost
postpaid and Gen Mobile brands, as well as a competitive portfolio of wireless devices. We offer customers value by
providing choice and flexibility in our Retail Wireless services. We offer competitive consumer plans with no annual
service contracts. 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 financing arrangements for wireless devices.
Boost postpaid. In the fourth quarter of 2022, we launched our Boost postpaid wireless service, to a limited number of
customers who had signed up for early registration. During 2023, we launched our nationwide expansion of our Boost
postpaid wireless service, and at the end of the third quarter of 2023, we began offering the iPhone 15 on our 5G Network
and expanded our Boost postpaid offering through a distribution partnership with Amazon.
We are currently operating our Retail Wireless segment primarily as an MVNO as we continue our 5G Network
Deployment and commercialize and grow customer traffic on our 5G Network. We are transitioning our Retail Wireless
segment to an MNO as our 5G Network becomes commercially available. We are currently activating Boost Mobile and
Boost postpaid subscribers with compatible devices onto our 5G Network in markets where we have launched 5G voice
services. Within our MVNO operations, today we depend on T-Mobile and AT&T to provide us with network services
under the MNSA and NSA, respectively. Under the NSA, we expect AT&T will become our primary network services
provider.
Our Retail Wireless business strategy is to expand our current target segments and profitably grow our subscriber base by
acquiring and retaining high quality subscribers while we continue our 5G Network Deployment. We intend to acquire
high quality subscribers by providing competitive offers, choice and outstanding customer service that better meet those
subscribers’ needs and budget.
5G NETWORK DEPLOYMENT
Business Strategy – 5G Network Deployment
We have invested a total of over $30 billion in Wireless spectrum licenses, which includes over $10 billion in initial
noncontrolling investments in certain entities. The $30 billion of investments related to Wireless spectrum licenses does
not include $9 billion of capitalized interest related to the carrying value of such licenses. See Note 2 and Note 13 in the
Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further information.
We will need to raise additional capital in the future, which may not be available on favorable terms, 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 profitably deploy
these Wireless spectrum licenses, which may affect the carrying amount of these assets and our future financial condition
or results of operations. See Note 13 in the Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form
10-K for further information.
DISH Network Spectrum
We have invested a total of over $30 billion to acquire certain Wireless spectrum licenses. These Wireless spectrum licenses
are subject to certain interim and final build-out requirements, as well as certain renewal requirements. Our 5G Network
Deployment segment business strategy is 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 deploy our 5G Network capable of serving increasingly larger portions of the U.S. population at
different deadlines, including 20% of the U.S. population by June 2022 and 70% of the U.S. population by June 2023. If by
June 2023, we are offering 5G broadband service to at least 50% of the U.S. population but less than 70% of the U.S.
population, the 70% June 2023 deadline will be extended automatically to June 2025; however, as a result, we may, under
certain circumstances, potentially be subject to certain penalties. On June 14, 2022, we announced we had successfully
reached our 20% population coverage requirement. In addition, we announced and certified to the FCC that as of June 14,
2023, we offer 5G broadband service to over 73% of the U.S. population, or more than 246 million Americans nationwide.
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On September 29, 2023, the FCC confirmed we have 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 confirmed using the drive test
methodology agreed to and approved by the FCC and overseen by an independent monitor. We now have the largest
commercial deployment of 5G VoNR in the world reaching approximately 200 million Americans and 5G broadband
service reaching approximately 250 million Americans.
As a result of us providing 5G broadband service to over 50% of the U.S. population by June 14, 2023, the final build-out
deadlines have been extended automatically to June 14, 2025 for us to offer 5G broadband service to at least 70% of the
population in each Economic Area for the 700 MHz Licenses and AWS-4 Licenses and at least 75% of the population in
each Economic Area for the H Block 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 plan to raise
additional capital, which may not be available on favorable terms. We may also determine that additional wireless
spectrum licenses may be required for our 5G Network Deployment and to compete effectively with other wireless service
providers. See Note 13 in the Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for
further information.
DISH Network Noncontrolling Investments in the Northstar Entities and the SNR Entities Related to AWS-3 Wireless
Spectrum Licenses
During 2015, through our wholly-owned subsidiaries American AWS-3 Wireless II L.L.C. (“American II”) and American
AWS-3 Wireless III L.L.C. (“American III”), we initially made over $10 billion in certain noncontrolling investments
in Northstar Spectrum, LLC (“Northstar Spectrum”), the parent company of Northstar Wireless, L.L.C. (“Northstar
Wireless,” and collectively with Northstar Spectrum, the “Northstar Entities”), and in SNR Wireless HoldCo, LLC (“SNR
HoldCo”), the parent company of SNR Wireless LicenseCo, LLC (“SNR Wireless,” and collectively with SNR HoldCo,
the “SNR Entities”), respectively. On October 27, 2015, the FCC granted certain AWS-3 wireless spectrum licenses (the
“AWS-3 Licenses”) to Northstar Wireless and to SNR Wireless, respectively, which are recorded in “Regulatory
authorizations, net” on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. Under the applicable accounting guidance in Accounting
Standards Codification 810, Consolidation (“ASC 810”), Northstar Spectrum and SNR HoldCo are considered variable
interest entities (“VIEs”) and, based on the characteristics of the structure of these entities and in accordance with the
applicable accounting guidance, we consolidate these entities into our financial statements. On October 12, 2023, the FCC
consented to the sale of Northstar Manager, LLC’s (“Northstar Manager”) ownership interests in Northstar Spectrum,
which we purchased for a total of approximately $109 million. This purchase resulted in the elimination of all of our
redeemable noncontrolling interest as it related to Northstar Spectrum as of the purchase date and we continue to
consolidate the Northstar Entities as wholly-owned subsidiaries. Subsequent to December 31, 2023, the FCC consented to
the sale of SNR Wireless Management, LLC’s (“SNR Management”) ownership interests in SNR HoldCo, which was
purchased by our parent’s direct wholly-owned subsidiary EchoStar SNR HoldCo L.L.C. for a total of approximately $442
million on February 16, 2024. This purchase resulted in the conversion of our outstanding redeemable noncontrolling
interest as it relates to SNR HoldCo to noncontrolling interest, which is now held by our parent, EchoStar, as of the
purchase date. See Note 2 in the Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for
further information.
WEBSITE ACCESS
As a result of the merger, we are no longer subject to the informational requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the
Exchange Act and accordingly voluntarily file with the SEC. Our SEC filings may be accessed free of charge through the
website of our parent, EchoStar, 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/.
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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 and/or results of operations could be materially and
adversely affected.
Risks Related to the Integration
Although we expect that the Merger will result in synergies and other benefits, those synergies and benefits may not be
realized in the amounts anticipated, or may not be realized within the anticipated timeframe, or at all, and risks
associated with the foregoing may also result from any extended delay in the Integration of the companies.
Our ability to realize the anticipated benefits of the Merger will depend, to a large extent, on our ability to integrate
EchoStar’s and our business in a manner that facilitates growth opportunities and achieves the anticipated benefits. In
addition, some of the anticipated synergies are not expected to occur for a significant time period following the completion
of the Merger and will require substantial capital expenditures to achieve. There can be no guarantee we will achieve any
of these benefits on the anticipated timeframe or at all.
The combination of two separate companies is complex, costly and time-consuming and may require significant
management attention and resources which may divert attention from our business and operations. The failure to meet the
challenges involved in combining the two companies and to realize the anticipated benefits of the Merger could, among
other things, cause an interruption of, or a loss of momentum in, our activities and could adversely affect our results of
operations. The overall combination of the two companies may also result in, among other things, material unanticipated
problems, expenses, liabilities, competitive responses and loss of customer and other business relationships. The
difficulties of combining our operations include, among others:
● diversion of management and employee attention to Integration matters;
● difficulties in integrating operations and systems, including, but not limited to, communications systems,
administrative and information technology infrastructure, financial reporting and internal control systems;
● challenges in conforming standards, controls, procedures and accounting and other policies, business cultures and
compensation structures between the two companies;
● difficulties in integrating employees and teams of the respective businesses and attracting and retaining key
personnel;
● challenges in retaining and obtaining customers, suppliers and other commercial relationships;
● difficulties in managing the expanded operations of a larger and more complex company; and
● potential unknown liabilities, adverse consequences and unforeseen increased expenses associated with the
Integration.
Many of these factors are outside of our control and any of them could result in lower revenues, higher costs and diversion
of management time and energy, which could materially impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.
In addition, even if the operations of the companies are integrated successfully, the full benefits of the Merger may not be
realized, including, among others, the synergies, cost savings or sales or growth opportunities that are expected. These
benefits may not be achieved within the anticipated time frame or at all. As a result, it cannot be assured that the
Integration will result in the realization of the full benefits expected from the Merger within the anticipated time frames, or
at all.
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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
7. Management’s Narrative Analysis of Results of Operations – Trends in our Pay-TV Segment – Competition” 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 Narrative
Analysis of 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.
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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.
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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 retail 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 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 – Retail
Wireless” and “Item 7. Management’s Narrative Analysis of Results of Operations – Retail 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 network. As we complete our
5G Network Deployment and transition a portion of our business to a 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.
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● 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.
● 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 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.
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.
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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 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 EchoStar’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December
31, 2023 for further information.
Through the MNSA and the NSA, we depend 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
expect AT&T will become our primary network services provider. In addition, 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. We have agreed to pay AT&T at least $5 billion over
the course of the 10-year term of the NSA, subject to certain terms and conditions. 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 of $3.3
billion over the course of the MNSA, 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 would
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 on T-Mobile and AT&T to provide us with network
services pursuant to the MNSA and the NSA, respectively, to offer Retail Wireless services. 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 would 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.
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We compete with the MNOs whose networks we 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 currently
have 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. 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 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 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 Retail Wireless services, and who may be more sensitive to economic weakness, including, among others, our
pay-in-advance subscribers.
● 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.
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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.
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 and/or Wireless 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 Retail 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 or
Wireless 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. 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, to attract and retain subscribers there can be no assurance that our efforts will generate new subscribers
or result in a lower churn rate.
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For our Retail Wireless business, we are currently in the process of integrating our Retail Wireless operations and making
certain operational changes to enhance profitability. We are working to ensure that certain subscribers we acquire and
retain are profitable under our MVNO economics. As an example, certain subscribers that use high amounts of data may
be profitable for a MNO but are not profitable under a MVNO. This has caused our net Wireless subscriber additions to be
negatively impacted. In addition, as we transition from a MVNO to a MNO, our subscriber acquisition costs may increase
due to, among other factors, certain differences between prepaid and postpaid subscribers.
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, devices subsidy 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 our 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.
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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 business requires that we have adequate satellite transmission capacity for the programming we
offer. 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.
Our ability to earn revenue from our Pay-TV business 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 the 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.
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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. 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 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 and wireless 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 need 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, 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.
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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 and Wireless 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, COVID-19 policies, 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.
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 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.
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In addition, the success of the Integration will depend in part on the retention of personnel critical to our business and
operations due to, for example, their technical skills or management expertise. Competition for qualified personnel can be
intense and qualified personnel can be in high demand. Current and prospective employees may experience uncertainty
about their future role until strategies regarding these employees are announced or executed, which may impair our ability
to attract, retain and motivate key management, technical and other personnel following the Merger. If we are unable to
attract and retain personnel, including key management, who are critical to the successful Integration and future operations
of the companies, we could face, among other risks, disruptions in their operations, loss of existing customers, loss of key
information, expertise or know-how and unanticipated additional recruitment and training costs. In addition, the loss of key
personnel could diminish the anticipated benefits of the Merger.
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.
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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 concluded, 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.
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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 EchoStar’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31,
2023 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.
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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 and Wireless 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 and Wireless 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.
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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. In February 2023,
we disclosed that our systems were subject to a cyber-security incident that compromised certain data. During the first
quarter of 2023, we incurred certain cyber-security- related expenses, including, but not limited to, costs to remediate the
incident and provide additional customer support. Subsequent to the first quarter of 2023, we have not incurred material
expenses resulting from the cyber-security incident and do not expect to incur material expenses in future periods.
We are subject to persistent cyber-security incidents and 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.
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.
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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 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, pandemics like COVID-19 and 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, 2023, our total long-term debt and finance lease obligations (including current portion) outstanding,
including the debt of our subsidiaries, was $21.220 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 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.
In addition, we will 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 have made substantial investments to acquire certain wireless spectrum licenses and other related assets, and we
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, complete 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 complete our 5G Network
Deployment, we have and will 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 plan to raise additional capital, which may not be
available on favorable terms. We may also determine that additional wireless spectrum licenses may be required to
complete our 5G Network Deployment and to compete effectively with other wireless service providers.
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We may need to make significant additional investments or partner with others to, among other things, complete 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.
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, 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 will need to raise additional capital in the future, which may not be available on favorable terms, 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 profitably deploy
these 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. As the carrying amount of these licenses exceeds the carrying value of our long-term debt,
substantially all of our interest expense is being capitalized. 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.
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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; and
● the risks associated with complying with contractual provisions and regulations applicable to the acquired
business, which may cause us to incur substantial expenses; and
● the disruption of relationships with employees, vendors or customers.
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 will need additional capital, which may not be available on favorable terms to fund current obligations, to continue
investing in our business and to finance acquisitions and other strategic transactions.
We do not currently have the necessary cash on hand and/or projected future cash flows to fund the November 2024 debt
maturity. To address our capital needs, we are in active discussions with funding sources to raise additional capital and
refinance our outstanding debt. We cannot provide assurances that we will be successful in obtaining such new financing
and/or refinancing the existing debt obligations necessary for us to have sufficient liquidity. If we are not successful in
these endeavors, then capital expenditures to meet future FCC build out requirements and wireless customer growth
initiatives will be adversely affected.
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 rising 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.
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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. In addition, the going concern
qualification issued by our auditors could adversely impact investors as well as our relationships with employees and
suppliers.
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 the Convertible Notes
will be entitled to convert the Convertible Notes at any time during specified periods at their option. If one or more holders
elect to convert their Convertible Notes, unless EchoStar elects to satisfy its conversion obligation by delivering solely
shares of EchoStar’s Class A common stock, EchoStar would be required to make cash payments to satisfy all or a portion
of its 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.
The convertible note hedge and warrant transactions that we entered into in connection with the offering of the
Convertible Notes due 2026 may affect the value of the Convertible Notes due 2026 and EchoStar’s Class A common
stock.
In connection with the offering of the Convertible Notes due 2026, we entered into convertible note hedge transactions
with certain option counterparties (each an “option counterparty”). The convertible note hedge transactions are expected
generally to reduce the potential dilution to EchoStar upon conversion of the Convertible Notes due 2026 and/or offset any
cash payments we are required to make in excess of the principal amount of converted Convertible Notes due 2026, as the
case may be. We also entered into warrant transactions with each option counterparty. The warrant transactions could
separately have a dilutive effect on EchoStar’s Class A common stock to the extent that the market price per share of its
Class A common stock exceeds the strike price of the warrants, unless we elect to settle the warrants in cash. In connection
with establishing its initial hedge of the convertible note hedge and warrant transactions, each option counterparty or an
affiliate thereof may have entered into various derivative transactions with respect to EchoStar’s Class A common stock
concurrently with or shortly after the pricing of the Convertible Notes due 2026.
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This activity could increase (or reduce the size of any decrease in) the market price of EchoStar’s Class A common stock or
the Convertible Notes due 2026 at that time. In addition, each option counterparty or an affiliate thereof may modify its
hedge position by entering into or unwinding various derivatives with respect to EchoStar’s Class A common stock and/or
purchasing or selling EchoStar’s Class A common stock or other securities of EchoStar’s in secondary market transactions
prior to the maturity of the Convertible Notes due 2026 (and is likely to do so during any observation period related to a
conversion of the Convertible Notes due 2026). This activity could also cause or avoid an increase or a decrease in the
market price of EchoStar’s Class A common stock or the Convertible Notes due 2026. In addition, if any such convertible
note hedge and warrant transactions fail to become effective, each option counterparty may unwind its hedge position with
respect to EchoStar’s Class A common stock, which could adversely affect the value of EchoStar’s Class A common stock
and the value of the Convertible Notes due 2026.
We are subject to counterparty risk with respect to the convertible note hedge transactions.
Each option counterparty to the convertible note hedge transactions is a financial institution, and we will be subject to the
risk that it might default under the convertible note hedge transaction. Our exposure to the credit risk of an option
counterparty will not be secured by any collateral. Global economic conditions have from time to time resulted in the
actual or perceived failure or financial difficulties of many financial institutions, including, but not limited to, the
bankruptcy filing by Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. and its various affiliates. If an option counterparty becomes subject to
insolvency proceedings, we will become an unsecured creditor in those proceedings with a claim equal to our exposure at
that time under our transactions with the option counterparty. Our exposure will depend on many factors but, generally, the
increase in our exposure will be correlated to the increase in the market price and in the volatility of EchoStar’s Class A
common stock. In addition, upon a default by an option counterparty, we may suffer adverse tax consequences and more
dilution than we currently anticipate with respect to EchoStar’s Class A common stock. We can provide no assurances as
to the financial stability or viability of any option counterparty.
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.
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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 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 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; and
● restrict our ability to enter into highly leveraged transactions.
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 the our Indentures, business and tax considerations and legal
restrictions, including, but not limited to, repurchasing indebtedness or paying dividends, and could have the effect of
diminishing our ability to make payments on our outstanding Indebtedness when due.
Our parent, EchoStar, is controlled by one principal stockholder who is also our Chairman.
Charles W. Ergen, our and EchoStar’s Chairman, beneficially owns approximately 54% of EchoStar’s 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 after, February 27, 2023) and beneficially owns approximately 91.4% of the total voting power
of all classes of EchoStar’s 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 after,
February 27, 2023). Through his beneficial ownership of EchoStar’s equity securities, Mr. Ergen has the ability to elect a
majority of EchoStar’s directors and to control all other matters requiring the approval of its stockholders. As a result of
Mr. Ergen’s voting power, EchoStar is a “controlled company” as defined in the NASDAQ listing rules and, therefore, is
not subject to NASDAQ requirements that would otherwise require EchoStar to have (i) a majority of independent
directors; (ii) a nominating committee composed solely of independent directors; (iii) compensation of EchoStar’s
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 EchoStar’s Board of Directors selection, either by a majority of the independent directors or a
nominating committee composed solely of independent directors.
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 and/or
Wireless offerings available to our DISH TV and/or Wireless 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.
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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 13 in the Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual
Report on Form 10-K for further information.
Changes in levels of U.S. government spending or overall spending priorities could impact, among other things, our
business, financial condition and results of operations.
We derive a portion of our revenue from subscribers who receive benefits under the Affordable Connectivity Program
(“ACP”), an FCC benefit program that helps ensure that households can afford access to broadband. Levels of U.S.
government spending are very difficult to predict and may be impacted by numerous factors such as, among others, the
political environment, macroeconomic conditions and the ability of the U.S. government to enact relevant legislation such
as authorization and appropriations bills.
Discontinuation, amendment or repeal of ACP, or replacement of ACP with one having different eligibility requirements
and/or funding levels could negatively impact, among other things, our net Wireless subscriber activations, which may
impact our decision to continue to participate in the program. We cannot predict whether or when any future changes to
the ACP may occur, or whether or to what extent those changes may affect our operations or impose additional costs on our
business. In addition, the timing of any changes or modifications to ACP could affect our operations and results of
operations. For example, a temporary lapse in funding for ACP, as a result of, among other things, temporary government
shutdown, could, among other things, result in lower net Wireless subscriber activations, even if ACP is ultimately fully
funded and approved.
In particular, reduced government funding for benefits programs such as ACP would result in a reduction in
reimbursements to us. Amendments to or repeal of ACP in whole or in part and/or decisions by the FCC could affect us
and the manner in which we are reimbursed by such programs, all of which could materially and adversely affect our
business, results of operations and financial condition. Following the FCC’s announcement, ACP stopped accepting new
applications and enrollments on February 7, 2024. Barring congressional action to fund ACP, funding may run out as soon
as April 2024.
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. 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. Our
business could suffer a material adverse impact if laws and regulations change and we are not able to adapt to these
changes efficiently.
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If our internal controls are not effective, our business, EchoStar’s 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, 2023. 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, 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.
We may face other risks described from time to time in periodic and current reports we file with the SEC.
Item 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
None.
Item 1C. CYBERSECURITY
We recognize the importance of assessing, identifying, reviewing and managing material risks associated with
cybersecurity threats, as such term is defined in Item 106(a) of Regulation S-K. These risks include, among other things:
operational and legal risks including intellectual property theft or loss, fraud, extortion, harm to employees or customers
and violation of data privacy or security laws. Our framework is informed in part by the National Institute of Standards and
Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework, although this does not imply that we meet all technical standards,
specifications or requirements under NIST.
We have an enterprise-wide information security program designed to identify, protect against, detect, respond to, and
recover from cybersecurity risks, threats and events. Our cyber risk management system contributes significantly to the
overall resilience and integrity of our business by, among other things, integrating the risk identification process in all
major company initiatives and deployment processes, implementing a unified approach to managing both digital and
traditional business risks, making continuous improvements and regularly reporting to management and EchoStar’s Board
of Directors as a whole to ensure accountability.
We regularly assess risks from cybersecurity and technology threats and monitor our information systems for potential
vulnerabilities. We and certain third parties conduct regular reviews and tests of our information security program and also
leverage, among other things, audits, tabletop exercises, penetration and vulnerability testing, red team exercises,
simulations and other exercises to evaluate the effectiveness of our information security program and improve our security
measures and planning. In addition, we evaluate third-party risks and perform third-party risk management to assess,
identify and mitigate risks from third parties such as vendors, suppliers and other business partners.
We have experienced cyber-attacks or other malicious activities that disrupted our business in the past. Any future failure
or disruption of our information technology infrastructure and communications systems or those of third parties that we use
in our operations could harm our business in the future. On February 23, 2023, we experienced a network outage that
affected its internal servers and IT telephony. We immediately activated our incident response and business continuity
plans designed to contain, remediate and recover from the situation. We engaged the services of certain cyber-security
experts and outside advisors to assist in the evaluation of the situation, and once we determined that the outage was due to
a cybersecurity incident, we promptly notified appropriate law enforcement authorities. In addition, on February 28, 2023,
we further disclosed that certain data had been extracted from the DISH Network IT systems.
After investigation and discussions with certain third parties, we determined that our customer databases were not
accessed, however, we confirmed that certain employee-related records as well as a limited number of other records
containing certain personal information were among the data extracted. We took steps to protect the affected records,
received confirmation that the extracted data was deleted and notified individuals whose data was extracted.
The DISH TV, SLING TV and Retail Wireless services, along with our wireless and data networks remained operational at
all times during the incident. As of March 31, 2023, all significant systems had been restored. We have no reason to believe
that this cybersecurity incident has not been concluded.
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We describe whether and how risks from identified cybersecurity threats, including, but not limited to, as a result of any
previous cybersecurity incidents, have materially affected or are reasonably likely to materially affect us, including our
business strategy, results of operations or financial condition included as part of our risk factor disclosures at Item 1A of
this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
The Chief Information Security Officer (“CISO”) leads our information security organization responsible for overseeing
our information security program. The CISO has over 25 years of experience in various roles involving information
security, including risk management and security leadership. Team members who support our information security program
have relevant education, professional certifications and industry experience, including but not limited to, holding similar
positions at large technology companies. The team provides regular reports, no less frequently than monthly, to senior
management and other relevant teams, including, but not limited to, the Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”), Chief Operating
Officer (“COO”), Chief Information Officer (“CIO”) and Chief Legal Officer (“CLO”).
Preparation for and, where possible prevention of cybersecurity incidents involves regular and structured briefings to key
management on risk remediation measures that should be taken to decrease, among other things, the likelihood and
severability of incidents and to mitigate and manage their effects. The CEO, COO, CIO, CLO and other members of
management receive detailed updates on cybersecurity risks on a regular basis, no less frequently than monthly, or when
significant risks or incidents are identified. These briefings enable the management team to, among other things, stay
informed of the latest threats, assess the effectiveness of current security measures and make timely decisions on strategic
security initiatives. In addition, EchoStar’s Board of Directors is regularly briefed, no less frequently than quarterly, on
cybersecurity risks as part of its oversight functions and to ensure that cybersecurity practices align with the company’s
overall risk management framework and business objectives.
In connection with the Integration, we anticipate that we will continue to evaluate and address as needed our cyber security
risk management, policies, structure, strategies and governance to meet our needs.
Item 2. PROPERTIES
The following table sets forth certain information concerning our principal properties related to our business segments as of
December 31, 2023.
Description/Use/Location
Corporate headquarters, Englewood, Colorado (1)
General offices, Littleton, Colorado
Customer call center, warehouse, service, and remanufacturing
center, El Paso, Texas
Data Center, Cheyenne, Wyoming
Digital broadcast operations center, Cheyenne, Wyoming
Digital broadcast operations center, Gilbert, Arizona
Engineering offices and service center, Englewood, Colorado
Warehouse, Denver, Colorado
Warehouse and distribution center, Spartanburg, South Carolina
Warehouse and distribution center, Denver, Colorado
Warehouse and distribution center, Atlanta, Georgia
Segment(s)
Using Property
All
Retail Wireless/5G Network Deployment
Pay-TV
Pay-TV/5G Network Deployment
Pay-TV
Pay-TV
Pay-TV
Pay-TV
Pay TV/5G Network Deployment
Pay TV/5G Network Deployment
Pay TV/5G Network Deployment
Leased From
Other
Third
Party
Owned EchoStar
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
(1) See Note 17 in the Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further
information on our Related Party Transactions with our parent, EchoStar.
In addition to the principal properties listed above, we operate numerous facilities for, among other things, our in-home
service operations, customer call centers and digital broadcast operations centers strategically located in regions throughout
the United States. Furthermore, our Pay-TV segment owns or leases capacity on nine satellites, which are a major
component of our DISH TV services. See Note 7 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
See Note 13 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.
Item 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES
Not applicable.
PART II
Item 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND
ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES
Market Information
As of March 11, 2024, all 1,000 issued and outstanding shares of our common stock were held by EchoStar. There is
currently no established trading market for our common stock.
Purchases of Equity Securities by the Issuer and Affiliated Purchasers
As a result of the merger with EchoStar effective December 31, 2023, this plan was terminated as all of the outstanding
shares of the DISH Network are held by EchoStar.
The following table provides information regarding purchases of our Class A common stock made by us for the period
from October 1, 2023 through December 31, 2023.
Period
October 1, 2023 - October 31, 2023
November 1, 2023 - November 30, 2023
December 1, 2023 - December 31, 2023
Total
— $
— $
— $
— $
Total
Number of
Shares
Average
Price Paid
Purchased per Share
Total Number of
Shares Purchased
as Part of Publicly
Announced
Programs
(In thousands, except share data)
— $
—
— $
—
— $
—
— $
—
Maximum Approximate
Dollar Value of Shares
that May Yet be
Purchased Under the
Programs (1)
1,000,000
1,000,000
1,000,000
1,000,000
(1) DISH Network’s Board of Directors previously authorized stock repurchases of up to $1.0 billion of its outstanding
Class A common stock. On October 21, 2023, DISH Network’s Board of Directors extended this authorization to
repurchase up to $1.0 billion of its outstanding Class A common stock through and including December 31, 2024.
However, this program expired December 31, 2023 as a result of DISH Network’s merger with EchoStar. During the
three months ended December 31, 2023, there were no repurchases of DISH Network’s Class A common stock.
Item 6. [Reserved]
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Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S NARRATIVE ANALYSIS OF RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
You should read the following management’s narrative 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 narrative 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
Merger with EchoStar
On December 31, 2023, we completed the Merger with EchoStar. On the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the
Amended Merger Agreement, on December 31, 2023 at the Effective Time each share of DISH Network Common Stock
outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time, was converted into the right to receive a number of validly issued,
fully paid and non-assessable shares of EchoStar Common Stock equal to the Exchange Ratio. Any shares of DISH
Network Common Stock that were held in DISH Network’s treasury or held directly by EchoStar or Merger Sub
immediately prior to the Effective Time were cancelled and cease to exist and no consideration was paid in respect thereof.
All shares of the DISH Network Class A Common Stock were delisted from NASDAQ and deregistered under
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
The EchoStar Common Stock issued to the Ergen DISH Stockholders (as defined in the Amended Merger Agreement) as
Merger consideration was issued through a private placement exemption from registration under the Securities Act. At the
Effective Time, each share of DISH Network Class A Common Stock owned by the Ergen DISH Stockholders
immediately prior to the Effective Time was converted into the right to receive a number of shares of EchoStar Class A
Common Stock equal to the Exchange Ratio, and (b) each share of DISH Network Class B Common Stock owned by the
Ergen DISH Stockholders immediately prior to the Effective Time was converted into the right to receive a number of
shares of EchoStar Class B Common Stock equal to the Exchange Ratio.
Concurrently with the entry into the Amended Merger Agreement, the Ergen Stockholders, EchoStar and DISH Network
entered into the Amended Support Agreement.
In connection with the completion of the Merger, on December 31, 2023, EchoStar and the Ergen Stockholders entered into
the Registration Rights Agreement. See Note 1 in the Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual
Report on Form 10-K for further information.
For more information and a copy of the Amended Merger Agreement, the Amended Support Agreement and the
Registration Rights Agreement, see the Form 8-K of EchoStar filed on October 3, 2023 and the Form 8-K of EchoStar filed
on January 2, 2024.
With the Merger complete, we are currently focused on the Integration.
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Segments
We currently operate three primary business segments: (1) Pay-TV; (2) Retail Wireless; and (3) 5G Network Deployment.
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 Retail Wireless segment offers Retail Wireless services as well as a competitive portfolio of wireless devices. We
offer customers value by providing choice and flexibility in our Retail Wireless services. We offer competitive consumer
plans with no annual service contracts. Our Retail Wireless business strategy is to expand our current target segments and
profitably grow our subscriber base by acquiring and retaining high quality subscribers while we continue our 5G Network
Deployment. We intend to acquire high quality subscribers by providing competitive offers, choice and outstanding
customer service that better meet those subscribers’ needs and budget.
We are currently operating our Retail Wireless segment primarily as a MVNO as we continue our 5G Network Deployment
and commercialize our 5G Network. We are transitioning our Retail Wireless segment to a MNO as our 5G Network
becomes commercially available and we are currently activating subscribers onto our 5G Network in markets where we
have reached VoNR. As an MVNO, today we depend on T-Mobile and AT&T to provide us with network services under
the MNSA and the NSA, respectively. Under the NSA, we expect AT&T will become our primary network services
provider.
Our 5G Network Deployment segment business strategy is to commercialize our Wireless spectrum licenses through the
completion of our 5G Network Deployment. We have committed to deploy our 5G Network capable of serving increasingly
larger portions of the U.S. population at different deadlines, including 20% of the U.S. population by June 2022 and 70% of
the U.S. population by June 2023. If by June 2023, we are offering 5G broadband service to at least 50% of the U.S.
population but less than 70% of the U.S. population, the 70% June 2023 deadline will be extended automatically to June
2025; however, as a result, we may, under certain circumstances, potentially be subject to certain penalties. On June 14,
2022, we announced we had successfully reached our 20% population coverage requirement. In addition, we announced and
certified to the FCC that as of June 14, 2023, we offer 5G broadband service to over 73% of the U.S. population, or more
than 246 million Americans nationwide. On September 29, 2023, the FCC confirmed we have 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
confirmed using the drive test methodology agreed to and approved by the FCC and overseen by an independent monitor.
We now have the largest commercial deployment of 5G VoNR in the world reaching approximately 200 million Americans
and 5G broadband service reaching approximately 250 million Americans.
As a result of us providing 5G broadband service to over 50% of the U.S. population by June 14, 2023, the final build-out
deadlines have been extended automatically to June 14, 2025 for us to offer 5G broadband service to at least 70% of the
population in each Economic Area for the 700 MHz Licenses and AWS-4 Licenses and at least 75% of the population in
each Economic Area for the H Block Licenses.
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Future Capital Requirements
We expect to fund our future working capital, capital expenditures, other investments, and debt service requirements from
cash generated from operations, existing cash, restricted 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, depending on, among other things, the rate at which we complete our 5G
Network Deployment, the 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 2024 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 them to be non-discretionary.
We used our cash, cash equivalents and marketable investment securities, cash flow from operations and funds from certain
strategic transactions, including the sale of our wholly-owned subsidiary which holds the 700 MHz Spectrum to a wholly-
owned subsidiary of our parent, EchoStar, on March 12, 2024, to pay the March 2024 debt maturity. We do not currently
have the necessary cash, cash equivalents and marketable investment securities and/or projected future cash flows to fund
the November 2024 debt maturity. To address our capital needs, we are in active discussions with funding sources to raise
additional capital and restructure our outstanding debt.
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.
On November 15, 2021 the SNR Put Right was exercised. As of December 31, 2023, the aggregate value of SNR
Management’s ownership interest in SNR HoldCo was $438 million, recorded as “Redeemable noncontrolling interests” on
our Consolidated Balance Sheets.
Subsequent to December 31, 2023, the FCC consented to the sale of SNR Wireless Management, LLC’s (“SNR
Management”) ownership interests in SNR HoldCo, which was purchased by our parent’s direct wholly-owned subsidiary
EchoStar SNR HoldCo L.L.C. for a total of approximately $442 million on February 16, 2024. In addition, the remaining
balance of $951 million on our 2 3/8% Convertible Notes matured on March 15, 2024 and was paid with our cash, cash
equivalents and marketable investment securities, cash flow from operations and funds from certain strategic transactions
including the sale of our wholly-owned subsidiary which holds the 700 MHz Spectrum to a wholly-owned subsidiary of
our parent, EchoStar, on March 12, 2024. See Note 9 in the Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual
Report on Form 10-K for further information.
We have and expect to continue to incur expenditures in 2024 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. The amount of capital required will also depend on, among other things, our available
liquidity, the growth of our Retail 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, will require us to raise additional capital in the future, which may
not be available on favorable terms.
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. These developments may have a significant effect on our cost of financing and
our liquidity position.
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Other Developments
Cyber-Security Incident
On February 23, 2023, we experienced a network outage that affected our internal servers and IT telephony. We
immediately activated our incident response and business continuity plans designed to contain, remediate and recover from
the situation. We engaged the services of certain cyber-security experts and outside advisors to assist in the evaluation of
the situation, and once we determined that the outage was due to a cyber-security incident, we promptly notified
appropriate law enforcement authorities.
On February 28, 2023, we further disclosed that certain data had been extracted from our IT systems. Our investigation
into the extent of the incident is now completed. We determined that our customer databases were not accessed, however,
we confirmed that certain employee-related records as well as a limited number of other records containing certain
personal information were among the data extracted. We took steps to protect the affected records, received confirmation
that the extracted data was deleted and notified individuals whose data was extracted.
Our DISH TV, SLING TV and Retail Wireless services, along with our wireless and data networks remained operational at
all times during the incident. As of March 31, 2023, all significant systems had been restored.
During the first quarter of 2023, we incurred substantially all of our cyber-security-related expenses for this matter,
including, but not limited to, costs to remediate the incident and provide additional customer support. During the second,
third and fourth quarters of 2023, we did not incur additional material expenses resulting from the cyber-security incident
and do not expect to incur material expenses in future periods. During the year ended December 31, 2023, we incurred
approximately $30 million in cyber-security-related expenses, which are recorded in “Cost of services” on our
Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss).
Economic Environment
During 2022 and 2023, we experienced significant 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.
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 and Retail Wireless 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 Retail 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 convert Wireless subscribers onto our 5G Network. The third factor is the rate at which we
acquire new 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.
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Finally, our future cash flow is impacted by, among other things, the rate at which we complete our 5G Network
Deployment, incur litigation expense, and any cash flow from financing activities. We anticipate operating expenditures
for our 5G Network Deployment to increase during 2024 as we continue to, among other things, deploy cell sites and
communication towers to commercialize our 5G Network. Since we reached our 5G Network Deployment milestone of
70% of the U.S. population, we expect our capital expenditures will decline in the near term. However, as we prepare for
our next build-out requirements in 2025, we expect our capital expenditures to increase as we approach this deadline. As a
result, our historical cash flow is not necessarily indicative of our future cash flows. As of December 31, 2023, as a result
of, among other things, capital expenditures for our 5G Network Deployment, we experienced negative cash flow. We
expect that this trend will continue in 2024 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.
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.
Debt Issuances and Maturity
On May 24, 2021, we issued $1.5 billion aggregate principal amount of our 5 1/8% Senior Notes due June 1, 2029.
Interest accrues at an annual rate of 5 1/8% and is payable semi-annually in cash, in arrears on June 1 and December 1 of
each year.
On November 26, 2021, we issued $2.750 billion aggregate principal amount of our 5 1/4% Senior Secured Notes due
December 1, 2026. Interest accrues at an annual rate of 5 1/4% and is payable semi-annually in cash, in arrears on June 1
and December 1 of each year, commencing on June 1, 2022.
On November 26, 2021, we issued $2.5 billion aggregate principal amount of our 5 3/4% Senior Secured Notes due
December 1, 2028. Interest accrues at an annual rate of 5 3/4% and is payable semi-annually in cash, in arrears on June 1
and December 1 of each year, commencing on June 1, 2022.
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, commencing on May 15, 2023.
Our 6 3/4% Senior Notes due 2021 with an aggregate principal balance of $2.0 billion were repurchased or redeemed as of
June 1, 2021.
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.
Our 5% Senior Notes due 2023 with an aggregate principal balance of $1.5 billion were repurchased or redeemed as of
March 15, 2023.
During the year ended December 31, 2023, we repurchased approximately $49 million of our 2 3/8% Convertible Notes
due 2024 in open market trades. The remaining balance of approximately $951 million matured and was redeemed on
March 15, 2024.
During the year ended December 31, 2023, we repurchased approximately $17 million of our 5 7/8% Senior Notes due
2024 in open market trades. The remaining balance of approximately $1.983 billion matures on November 15, 2024.
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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. In particular, 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 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 and DISH DBS were in compliance
with the covenants and restrictions related to our respective long-term debt.
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.
EXPLANATION OF KEY METRICS AND OTHER ITEMS
Service revenue. “Service revenue” consists principally of Pay-TV and Wireless subscriber 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 and the licensing of certain intellectual property.
Cost of services. “Cost of services” principally includes Pay-TV programming expenses and other operating costs related
to our Pay-TV segment and costs of Wireless services (including costs incurred under the MNSA and NSA).
Cost of sales - equipment and other. “Cost of sales – equipment and other” principally includes the cost of wireless
devices and other related items, certain direct costs of wireless mobile network operations to deliver wireless voice and
data services, 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.
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.
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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, and equity in earnings and
losses of our affiliates.
Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”). EBITDA is defined as “Net income (loss)
attributable to DISH Network” plus “Interest expense, net of amounts capitalized” and net of “Interest income,” “Income
tax (provision) benefit, net” and “Depreciation and amortization.” This “non-GAAP measure” is reconciled to “Net
income (loss) attributable to DISH Network” in our discussion of “Results of Operations” below.
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 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.
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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 ACP/Gen Mobile subscribers discussed below. Our gross new Wireless subscriber activations
exclude all ACP/Gen Mobile subscribers as we record these subscribers net of disconnects, as discussed below.
Affordable Connectivity Program/Gen Mobile subscribers (“ACP/Gen Mobile subscribers”). The Emergency Broadband
Benefit Program (“EBBP”) was launched by the FCC in February of 2021 to support broadband services and devices to
help low-income individuals that meet certain eligibility criteria. The Affordable Connectivity Program (“ACP”) replaced
the EBBP on December 31, 2021. Our ACP/Gen Mobile subscribers have a significantly higher churn rate compared to
our other Wireless subscribers and we incur lower costs to acquire these subscribers. Therefore, our ACP/Gen Mobile
subscriber additions are recorded net of disconnects.
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 Retail Wireless segment “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. ACP/Gen Mobile subscribers
are excluded from our calculation of our Wireless churn rate.
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RESULTS OF OPERATIONS – Segments
Business Segments
We currently operate three primary business segments: (1) Pay-TV; (2) Retail Wireless; and (3) 5G Network Deployment.
Revenue and operating income (loss) by segment are shown in the table below:
Year Ended December 31, 2023 Compared to the Year Ended December 31, 2022.
Revenue:
Pay-TV
Retail wireless
5G network deployment
Eliminations
Total revenue
Operating income (loss):
Pay-TV
Retail wireless
5G network deployment
Total operating income (loss)
* Percentage is not meaningful.
For the Years Ended December 31,
Variance
2023
2022
(In thousands)
Amount
%
$
$
$
$
11,571,159
3,692,372
91,928
(60,371)
15,295,088
2,699,810
(643,184)
(1,881,369)
175,257
$
$
$
$
12,505,392 $
4,135,129
65,768
(26,882)
16,679,407 $
(934,233)
(442,757)
26,160
(33,489)
(1,384,319)
2,933,898 $
(77,264)
(810,968)
2,045,666 $
(234,088)
(565,920)
(1,070,401)
(1,870,409)
(7.5)
(10.7)
39.8
*
(8.3)
(8.0)
*
*
(91.4)
Total revenue. Our consolidated revenue totaled $15.295 billion for the year ended December 31, 2023, a decrease of
$1.384 billion or 8.3% compared to the same period in 2022. The net decrease primarily resulted from the decrease in
revenue from our Pay-TV and Retail Wireless segments.
Total operating income (loss). Our consolidated operating income totaled $175 million for the year ended December 31,
2023, a decrease of $1.870 billion or 91.4% compared to the same period in 2022. The net decrease primarily resulted
from an increase in operating loss from our 5G Network Deployment and Retail Wireless segments and to a lesser extent a
decrease in operating income (loss) from our Pay-TV segment. The year ended December 31, 2023 was adversely
impacted by impairments of goodwill of: (1) $120 million from our 5G Network Deployment segment; (2) $99 million
from our Retail Wireless segment; and (3) $6 million from our Pay-TV segment. See Note 2 to the Notes to our
Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further information.
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Pay-TV Segment
We offer Pay-TV services under the DISH brand and the SLING brand. As of December 31, 2023, we had 8.526 million
Pay-TV subscribers in the United States, including 6.471 million DISH TV subscribers and 2.055 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.
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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.
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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.
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RESULTS OF OPERATIONS – Pay-TV Segment
Year Ended December 31, 2023 Compared to the Year Ended December 31, 2022.
Statements of Operations Data
Revenue:
Service revenue
Equipment sales and other revenue
Total revenue
Costs and expenses:
Cost of services
% of Service revenue
Cost of sales - equipment and other
Selling, general and administrative expenses
% of Total revenue
Depreciation and amortization
Impairment of long-lived assets and goodwill
Total costs and expenses
For the Years Ended December 31,
Variance
2023
2022
(In thousands)
Amount
%
$
11,385,961
185,198
11,571,159
$
12,360,601
144,791
12,505,392
$
(974,640)
40,407
(934,233)
(7.9)
27.9
(7.5)
6,977,628
7,423,427
(445,799)
(6.0)
61.3 %
60.1 %
91,164
1,414,808
97,315
1,622,281
12.2 %
13.0 %
381,292
6,457
8,871,349
428,471
—
9,571,494
(6,151)
(207,473)
(47,179)
6,457
(700,145)
Operating income (loss)
$
2,699,810
$
2,933,898
$
(234,088)
Other data:
Pay-TV subscribers, as of period end (in millions)
DISH TV subscribers, as of period end (in millions)
SLING TV subscribers, as of period end (in millions)
Pay-TV subscriber additions (losses), net (in millions)
DISH TV subscriber additions (losses), net (in millions)
SLING TV subscriber additions (losses), net (in millions)
Pay-TV ARPU
DISH TV subscriber additions, gross (in millions)
DISH TV churn rate
DISH TV SAC
Purchases of property and equipment
OIBDA
* Percentage is not meaningful.
8.526
6.471
2.055
(1.224)
(0.945)
(0.279)
104.56
0.464
1.69 %
1,118
242,736
3,081,102
$
$
$
$
9.750
7.416
2.334
(0.957)
(0.805)
(0.152)
101.20
0.634
1.54 %
1,044
131,093
3,362,369
$
$
$
$
(1.224)
(0.945)
(0.279)
(0.267)
(0.140)
(0.127)
3.36
(0.170)
0.15 %
74
111,643
(281,267)
$
$
$
$
45
(6.3)
(12.8)
(11.0)
*
(7.3)
(8.0)
(12.6)
(12.7)
(12.0)
(27.9)
(17.4)
(83.6)
3.3
(26.8)
9.7
7.1
85.2
(8.4)
Table of Contents
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
cyber-security 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.
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 $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 lower average Pay-TV subscriber base, partially offset by an increase in Pay-TV ARPU,
discussed below.
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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 the 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 cyber-security-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.
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 $1.415 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.
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.
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Retail Wireless Segment
We offer nationwide prepaid and postpaid Retail Wireless services to subscribers primarily under our Boost Mobile, Boost
postpaid and Gen Mobile brands, as well as a competitive portfolio of wireless devices. 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 financing arrangements for
wireless devices.
Boost postpaid. In the fourth quarter of 2022, we launched our Boost postpaid wireless service, to a limited number of
customers who had signed up for early registration. During 2023, we launched our nationwide expansion of our Boost
postpaid wireless service, and at the end of the third quarter of 2023, we began offering the iPhone 15 on our 5G Network
and expanded our Boost postpaid offering through a distribution partnership with Amazon.
We are currently operating our Retail Wireless segment primarily as an MVNO as we continue our 5G Network
Deployment and commercialize and grow customer traffic on our 5G Network. We are transitioning our Retail Wireless
segment to an MNO as our 5G Network becomes commercially available. We are currently activating Boost Mobile and
Boost postpaid subscribers with compatible devices onto our 5G Network in markets where we have launched 5G voice
services. Within our MVNO operations, today we depend on T-Mobile and AT&T to provide us with network services
under the MNSA and NSA, respectively. Under the NSA, we expect AT&T will become our primary network services
provider.
Historically, a portion of our Wireless subscribers received services through T-Mobile’s CDMA Network. However, T-
Mobile previously provided notice that it intended to shutdown the CDMA Network on March 31, 2022. The shutdown
began on March 31, 2022 and was completed during the second quarter of 2022. While we worked to mitigate the harms
of this shutdown, we incurred significant costs to migrate subscribers on this timeline. We implemented targeted efforts
and promotions directed at impacted customers, which resulted in the successful migration of the vast majority of our
CDMA subscribers. The CDMA shutdown negatively impacted our gross new Wireless subscriber activations, our
Wireless churn rate, and our results of operations during the first and second quarters of 2022. 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
subscribers was excluded from the calculation of our net Wireless subscriber additions/losses and Wireless churn rate.
On June 21, 2022, we and T-Mobile signed an amendment to the MNSA. In connection with this amendment, T-Mobile
agreed to transfer to us (subject to required regulatory approvals) all Boost branded customers of former Sprint affiliates,
Shentel and Swiftel, as well as Boost branded customers who were previously part of the California Public Utilities
Commission CARE program (the “Boost Affiliate Subscribers”). We received regulatory approvals and on September 1,
2022 closed the transfer, upon which we received approximately 139,000 Boost Affiliate Subscribers. In addition, this
amendment, among other things, settled all open disputes, including CDMA matters, with terms providing improved
pricing and enhanced roaming solutions for our consumers. Prior to the signing of this agreement, the first and second
quarters of 2022 were adversely impacted by, among other things, our CDMA migration costs and our ability to launch
more competitive service plans in the marketplace. As a result, during the first and second quarters of 2022, we
experienced lower gross new Wireless subscriber activations and higher Wireless churn.
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. As of December 31, 2023, we had 7.378 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, and financing arrangements for wireless devices for certain qualified subscribers.
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ACP Subscribers. A portion of our subscriber base and revenue is comprised of subscribers who receive benefits under
ACP. The ACP program is expected to end unless Congress appropriates additional funding. As a result, the FCC has
begun taking steps to wind down the ACP and has announced that ACP stopped accepting new applications and
enrollments on February 7, 2024. The FCC projects that households enrolled in the ACP will continue to receive the
benefit on their service through April 2024. This date is an estimate and may change. Without additional funding from
Congress, the FCC anticipates that the current ACP funding is projected to run out in April 2024. Discontinuation,
amendment or repeal of ACP, or replacement of ACP with one having different eligibility requirements and/or funding
levels could negatively impact, among other things, our net Wireless subscriber activations and results of operations or
impose additional costs on our business. If ACP funding is ultimately restored or replaced, there can be no assurance that
the timing of the restoration or replacement will not lead to service interruptions and negatively impact, among other
things, our net Wireless subscriber activations and results of operations. Generally, ACP subscribers have lower Wireless
ARPU than other Wireless subscribers.
Other Developments
We regularly evaluate ways to enhance our business. As part of this process, we are in regular dialogue with interested
parties who may assist us in accomplishing our goals, including ongoing conversations with CONX Corp. (an entity
partially owned by Charles W. Ergen, our Chairman) regarding a transaction involving our Retail Wireless segment. There
can be no assurance that these discussions will lead to a transaction nor as to the structure or terms of any such transaction.
Competition
Retail wireless is a mature market with moderate year-over-year organic growth. Competitors include, among others,
providers who offer similar communication services, such as talk, text and data. Competitive factors within the wireless
communications 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.
Primary competitors to our Retail 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), and other
MVNOs such as Consumer Cellular, Mint Mobile (T-Mobile has reached an agreement to acquire) and Xfinity Mobile.
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RESULTS OF OPERATIONS – Retail Wireless Segment
Year Ended December 31, 2023 Compared to the Year Ended December 31, 2022.
Statements of Operations Data
Revenue:
Service revenue
Equipment sales and other revenue
Total revenue
Costs and expenses:
Cost of services
% of Service revenue
Cost of sales - equipment and other
Selling, general and administrative expenses
% of Total revenue
Depreciation and amortization
Impairment of long-lived assets and goodwill
Total costs and expenses
For the Years Ended December 31,
Variance
2023
2022
(In thousands)
Amount
%
$
$
3,337,240
355,132
3,692,372
3,653,909
481,220
4,135,129
$
(316,669)
(126,088)
(442,757)
(8.7)
(26.2)
(10.7)
2,022,443
2,135,074
(112,631)
(5.3)
60.6 %
58.4 %
1,133,377
859,111
1,193,645
705,760
23.3 %
17.1 %
221,968
98,657
4,335,556
177,914
—
4,212,393
(60,268)
153,351
44,054
98,657
123,163
(5.0)
21.7
24.8
*
2.9
*
Operating income (loss)
$
(643,184)
$
(77,264)
$
(565,920)
Other data:
Wireless subscribers, as of period end (in millions) **
Wireless subscriber additions, gross (in millions)
Wireless subscriber additions (losses), net (in millions) ***
Wireless ARPU
Wireless churn rate
OIBDA
7.378
2.743
(0.617)
36.15
4.17 %
(421,216)
$
$
$
$
7.983
3.418
(0.576)
37.72
$
4.46 %
$
100,650
(7.6)
(0.605)
(19.7)
(0.675)
(7.1)
(0.041)
(1.57)
(4.2)
(0.29)% (6.5)
*
(521,866)
* 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. See “Retail Wireless Segment” for further information on the CDMA shutdown.
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. See
“Retail Wireless Segment” for further information on the amended MNSA.
***Includes ACP/Gen Mobile 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 ACP/Gen Mobile 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.
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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 $355 million for the year ended
December 31, 2023, a decrease of $126 million or 26.2% 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 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 $2.022 billion for the year ended December 31, 2023, a decrease of $113
million or 5.3% 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 $1.133 billion for the year ended
December 31, 2023, a decrease of $60 million or 5.0% compared to the same period in 2022. The decrease in “Cost of
sales – equipment and other” compared to the same period in 2022 was primarily related to a decrease in units shipped,
partially offset by higher costs 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 cost per unit.
Selling, general and administrative expenses. “Selling, general and administrative expenses” totaled $859 million during
the year ended December 31, 2023, a $153 million or 21.7% 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, partially offset by a decrease in costs
to support the Retail 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.
Impairment of long-lived assets and goodwill. “Impairment of long-lived assets and goodwill” totaled $99 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.
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5G Network Deployment Segment
We have invested a total of over $30 billion in Wireless spectrum licenses, which includes over $10 billion in initial
noncontrolling investments in certain entities. The $30 billion of investments related to Wireless spectrum licenses does
not include $9 billion of capitalized interest related to the carrying value of such licenses. See Note 2 and Note 13 in the
Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further information.
We will need to raise additional capital in the future, which may not be available on favorable terms, 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 profitably deploy
these Wireless spectrum licenses, which may affect the carrying amount of these assets and our future financial condition
or results of operations. See Note 13 in the Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form
10-K for further information.
DISH Network Spectrum
We have invested a total of over $30 billion to acquire certain Wireless spectrum licenses. These Wireless spectrum
licenses are subject to certain interim and final build-out requirements, as well as certain renewal requirements. We plan to
commercialize our Wireless spectrum licenses through our 5G Network Deployment. We have committed to deploy our
5G Network capable of serving increasingly larger portions of the U.S. population at different deadlines, including 20% of
the U.S. population by June 2022 and 70% of the U.S. population by June 2023. If by June 2023, we are offering 5G
broadband service to at least 50% of the U.S. population but less than 70% of the U.S. population, the 70% June 2023
deadline will be extended automatically to June 2025; however, as a result, we may, under certain circumstances,
potentially be subject to certain penalties. On June 14, 2022, we announced we had successfully reached our 20%
population coverage requirement. In addition, we announced and certified to the FCC that as of June 14, 2023, we offer
5G broadband service to over 73% of the U.S. population, or more than 246 million Americans nationwide. On September
29, 2023, the FCC confirmed we have 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 confirmed using the drive test methodology agreed to and
approved by the FCC and overseen by an independent monitor. We now have the largest commercial deployment of 5G
VoNR in the world reaching approximately 200 million Americans, and 5G broadband service reaching approximately 250
million Americans. As a result of us providing 5G broadband service to over 50% of the U.S. population by June 14, 2023,
the final build-out deadlines have been extended automatically to June 14, 2025 for us to offer 5G broadband service to at
least 70% of the population in each Economic Area for the 700 MHz Licenses and AWS-4 Licenses and at least 75% of the
population in each Economic Area for the H Block 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 plan to raise
additional capital, which may not be available on favorable terms. We may also determine that additional wireless
spectrum licenses may be required for our 5G Network Deployment and to compete effectively with other wireless service
providers. See Note 13 in the Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for
further information.
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DISH Network Noncontrolling Investments in the Northstar Entities and the SNR Entities Related to AWS-3 Wireless
Spectrum Licenses
During 2015, through our wholly-owned subsidiaries American AWS-3 Wireless II L.L.C. (“American II”) and American
AWS-3 Wireless III L.L.C. (“American III”), we initially made over $10 billion in certain noncontrolling investments
in Northstar Spectrum, LLC (“Northstar Spectrum”), the parent company of Northstar Wireless, L.L.C. (“Northstar
Wireless,” and collectively with Northstar Spectrum, the “Northstar Entities”), and in SNR Wireless HoldCo, LLC (“SNR
HoldCo”), the parent company of SNR Wireless LicenseCo, LLC (“SNR Wireless,” and collectively with SNR HoldCo,
the “SNR Entities”), respectively. On October 27, 2015, the FCC granted certain AWS-3 wireless spectrum licenses (the
“AWS-3 Licenses”) to Northstar Wireless and to SNR Wireless, respectively, which are recorded in “Regulatory
authorizations, net” on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. Under the applicable accounting guidance in Accounting
Standards Codification 810, Consolidation (“ASC 810”), Northstar Spectrum and SNR HoldCo are considered VIEs and,
based on the characteristics of the structure of these entities and in accordance with the applicable accounting guidance, we
consolidate these entities into our financial statements. On October 12, 2023, the FCC consented to the sale of Northstar
Manager’s ownership interests in Northstar Spectrum, which we purchased for a total of approximately $109 million. This
purchase resulted in the elimination of all of our redeemable noncontrolling interest as it related to Northstar Spectrum as
of the purchase date and we continue to consolidate the Northstar Entities as wholly-owned subsidiaries. Subsequent to
December 31, 2023, the FCC consented to the sale of SNR Management’s ownership interests in SNR HoldCo, which was
purchased by our parent’s direct wholly-owned subsidiary EchoStar SNR HoldCo L.L.C. for a total of approximately $442
million on February 16, 2024. This purchase resulted in the conversion of our outstanding redeemable noncontrolling
interest as it relates to SNR HoldCo to noncontrolling interest, which is now held by our parent, EchoStar, as of the
purchase date. See Note 2 in the Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for
further information.
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS – 5G Network Deployment Segment
Year Ended December 31, 2023 Compared to the Year Ended December 31, 2022.
Statements of Operations Data
Revenue:
Equipment sales and other revenue
Total revenue
Costs and expenses:
Cost of sales - equipment and other
Selling, general and administrative expenses
Depreciation and amortization
Impairment of long-lived assets and goodwill
Total costs and expenses
Operating income (loss)
Other data:
Purchases of property and equipment
OIBDA
* Percentage is not meaningful.
For the Years Ended December 31,
Variance
2023
2022
(In thousands)
Amount
%
91,928
91,928
$
65,768
65,768
$
26,160
26,160
39.8
39.8
977,329
255,380
620,685
119,903
1,973,297
521,631
223,539
131,566
—
876,736
455,698
31,841
489,119
119,903
1,096,561
(1,881,369) $
(810,968) $
(1,070,401)
87.4
14.2
*
*
*
*
2,586,151
$
(1,260,684) $
2,596,209
$
(679,402) $
(10,058)
(581,282)
(0.4)
(85.6)
$
$
$
$
Cost of sales – equipment and other. “Cost of sales – equipment and other” totaled $977 million during the year ended
December 31, 2023, an increase of $456 million compared to the same period in 2022. The increase primarily resulted
from an increase in lease expense on communication towers, transport, cloud services, and other costs related to our 5G
Network.
Selling, general and administrative expenses. “Selling, general and administrative expenses” totaled $255 million during
the year ended December 31, 2023, a $32 million increase compared to the same period in 2022. This change was
primarily driven by an increase in costs to support our 5G Network Deployment.
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Depreciation and amortization. “Depreciation and amortization” expense totaled $621 million during the year ended
December 31, 2023, a $489 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 $120 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.
OTHER CONSOLIDATED RESULTS
Year Ended December 31, 2023 Compared to the Year Ended December 31, 2022.
Statements of Operations Data
2023
2022
Amount
%
For the Years Ended December 31,
Variance
$
175,257
(In thousands)
$
2,045,666
$ (1,870,409)
(91.4)
Operating income (loss)
Other income (expense):
Interest income
Interest expense, net of amounts capitalized
Other, net
Total other income (expense)
Income (loss) before income taxes
Income tax (provision) benefit, net
Effective tax rate
Net income (loss)
Less: Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling
interests, net of tax
Net income (loss) attributable to DISH Network
* Percentage is not meaningful.
42,776
(22,781)
1,038,982
1,058,977
62,640
(16,100)
(2,780,858)
(2,734,318)
*
(70.7)
*
*
105,416
(38,881)
(1,741,876)
(1,675,341)
(1,500,084)
371,662
3,104,643
(731,736)
(4,604,727)
1,103,398
24.8 %
23.6 %
(1,128,422)
2,372,907
(3,501,329)
*
*
*
83,801
(1,212,223)
$
$
69,674
2,303,233
14,127
$ (3,515,456)
20.3
*
Interest income. “Interest income” totaled $105 million during the year ended December 31, 2023, an increase of $63
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 $1.742 billion during the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to income of
$1.039 billion during the same period in 2022. This change primarily resulted from a loss of approximately $1.793 billion
(including the $100 million prepayment previously made to T-Mobile) 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
$22 million net decrease in gains on marketable and non-marketable investment securities. Furthermore, the year ended
December 31, 2023 was positively impacted by $73 million in gains from the repurchases of our 3 3/8% Convertible
Notes due 2026 (the “Convertible Notes due 2026”), our 2 3/8% Convertible Notes due 2024 (the “Convertible Notes due
2024”) and 0% Convertible Notes due 2025 (the “Convertible Notes due 2025,” and collectively with the Convertible
Notes due 2026 and the Convertible Notes due 2024, the “Convertible Notes”) and our 5 7/8% Senior Notes due 2024. See
Note 5 and 9 in the Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements for further information.
Income tax (provision) benefit, net. Our income tax benefit was $372 million during the year ended December 31, 2023
compared to a provision of $732 million during the same period in 2022. The change was primarily related to a decrease in
“Income (loss) before income taxes,” partially offset by an increase in our effective tax rate.
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Non-GAAP Performance Measures and Reconciliation
It is management’s intent to provide non-GAAP financial information to enhance the understanding of our financial
information in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”), 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.
Consolidated EBITDA
Consolidated EBITDA is not a measure determined in accordance with GAAP and should not be considered a substitute
for operating income, net income or any other measure determined in accordance with GAAP. Consolidated EBITDA is
used as a measurement of operating efficiency and overall financial performance and we believe it is a helpful measure for
those evaluating operating performance in relation to our competitors. Conceptually, EBITDA measures the amount of
income generated each period that could be used to service debt, pay taxes and fund capital expenditures. EBITDA should
not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with GAAP.
Net income (loss) attributable to DISH Network
Interest, net
Income tax provision (benefit), net
Depreciation and amortization
Consolidated EBITDA
For the Years Ended December 31,
2023
2022
(In thousands)
$
$
(1,212,223) $
(66,535)
(371,662)
1,181,921
(468,499) $
2,303,233
(19,995)
731,736
717,073
3,732,047
The changes in Consolidated EBITDA during the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to the same period in 2022,
were primarily a result of the factors described in connection with operating revenues and operating expenses, including
the impact from changes in the probability weighted fair value of our option to purchase certain of T-Mobile’s 800 MHz
spectrum licenses resulting in a loss of approximately $1.793 billion (including the $100 million prepayment previously
made to T-Mobile) and the “Impairment of long-lived assets and goodwill” of $225 million.
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 14 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, 2023
Pay-TV
Retail
Wireless
5G Network
Deployment
(In thousands)
Eliminations Consolidated
Segment operating income (loss)
Depreciation and amortization
OIBDA
For the Year Ended December 31, 2022
Segment operating income (loss)
Depreciation and amortization
OIBDA
$
$
$
$
2,699,810 $
381,292
3,081,102 $
(643,184) $
221,968
(421,216) $
(1,881,369) $
620,685
(1,260,684) $
— $
(42,024)
(42,024) $
175,257
1,181,921
1,357,178
2,933,898 $
428,471
3,362,369 $
(77,264) $
177,914
100,650 $
(810,968) $
131,566
(679,402) $
— $
(20,878)
(20,878) $
2,045,666
717,073
2,762,739
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The changes in OIBDA during the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to the same period in 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) $120 million from our 5G Network Deployment segment; (2) $99 million from our
Retail Wireless segment; and (3) $6 million from our Pay-TV segment.
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, 2023, our cash, cash equivalents and current marketable investment securities had a fair value of $382
million. Of that amount, a total of $374 million 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, 2023 current
non-strategic investment portfolio of $374 million, 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, 2023 of 5.0%. 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 2023 would result in a decrease of approximately $10 million in annual interest income.
Strategic Marketable Investment Securities
As of December 31, 2023, we held investments in the publicly traded securities of several companies with a fair value of
$8 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 2023 would have
resulted in a decrease of $1 million in the fair value of these investments.
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Restricted Cash, Cash Equivalents and Marketable Investment Securities
As of December 31, 2023, we had $109 million of restricted cash 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,
2023 investment portfolio, a hypothetical 10% increase in average interest rates would not have a material impact on the
fair value of our restricted cash and marketable investment securities.
Long-Term Debt
As of December 31, 2023, we had long-term debt of $21.163 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 $16.540 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 $648 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, 2023, 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, 2023, we did
not hold any material derivative financial instruments other than the option to purchase certain T-Mobile’s 800 MHz
spectrum licenses under the Spectrum Purchase Agreement and certain contracts written on the equity of EchoStar. See
Note 5 and Note 9 in the Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further
information.
Item 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
Our consolidated financial statements are included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K beginning on page F-1.
Item 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND
FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE
Not applicable.
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 Chief
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 Chief 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.
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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)
(ii)
pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect our transactions and
dispositions of our assets;
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, 2023.
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, 2023, as
such terms are defined under Item 408(a) of Regulation S-K. As a result of the Merger, DISH Network’s stock is no longer
traded and all the Company’s directors or Section 16 officers’ 10b5-1 Trading plans were terminated in accordance with the
terms and conditions of such plans.
Item 9C. DISCLOSURE REGARDING FOREIGN JURISDICTIONS THAT PREVENT INSPECTIONS
Not applicable.
Item 14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES
Appointment of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
PART III
Appointment of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm for 2023. KPMG LLP served as our independent
registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023.
DISH Network’s Board of Directors, in its discretion, may direct the appointment of a different independent registered public
accounting firm at any time during the year if the Board of Directors believes that a change would be in its best interests.
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Fees Paid to KPMG LLP for 2023 and 2022
The following table presents fees for the aggregate professional audit services rendered by KPMG LLP for the audit of our
annual financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, and fees billed for other services rendered by
KPMG LLP to us during those periods.
Audit Fees (1)
Audit-Related Fees
Tax Compliance Fees
All Other Fees (2)
Total Fees
For the Years Ended December 31,
2023
2022
$
$
5,774,758
742,603
452,061
115,000
7,084,422
$
$
4,300,000
945,000
413,195
133,161
5,791,356
(1) Consists of fees paid by us for the audit of our consolidated financial statements included in our Annual Reports on
Form 10-K, review of our unaudited financial statements included in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and fees in
connection with the audit of our internal control over financial reporting.
(2) Consists of fees for services related to review of contract compliance.
Policy on Audit Committee Pre-Approval of Audit and Permissible Non-Audit Services of Independent Registered
Public Accounting Firm
DISH Network’s Board of Directors delegated to DISH Network’s Audit Committee the responsibility for appointing,
setting compensation, retaining, and overseeing the work of its independent registered public accounting firm until
December 31, 2023. Effective with the closing of the merger, this responsibility was delegated to EchoStar’s Audit
Committee. EchoStar’s Audit Committee has established a process regarding pre-approval of all audit and permissible
non-audit services provided by the independent registered public accounting firm.
Requests are submitted to the Audit Committee of EchoStar in one of the following ways:
● Request for approval of services at a meeting of the Audit Committee; or
● Request for approval of services by members of the Audit Committee acting by written consent.
The request may be made with respect to either specific services or a type of service for predictable or recurring services.
100% of the fees paid to KPMG LLP for services rendered in 2023 and 2022 were pre-approved by DISH Network’s Audit
Committee.
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PART IV
Item 15. EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES
(a) The following documents are filed as part of this report:
(1) Financial Statements
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 Stockholder’s Equity (Deficit)
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(2) Financial Statement Schedules
Page
F-2
F-4
F-5
F-6
F-7
F-8
None. All schedules have been included in the consolidated financial statements or notes thereto.
(3) Exhibits
2.1*
2.2*
2.3*
3.1*
3.2*
4.1*
4.2*
4.3*
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).
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).
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).*
Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation of DISH
Network Corporation (incorporated by reference from
Exhibit 3.1 to DISH Network’s Current Report on Form 8-K
filed on January 2, 2024).
Amended and Restated Bylaws of DISH Network Corporation
(incorporated by reference from Exhibit 3.2 to DISH
Network’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on January 2,
2024).
Indenture, relating to the 5 7/8% Senior Notes due 2024, dated
as of November 20, 2014 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 November 21, 2014).
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).
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).
60
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4.4*
4.5*
4.6*
4.7*
4.8*
4.9*
4.10*
4.11*
4.12*
4.13*
4.14*
Indenture, relating to the 2 3/8% Convertible Notes due 2024, dated as of March 17, 2017, 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
March 20, 2017).
Supplemental Indenture relating to the 5 7/8% Senior Notes due 2024 (incorporated by reference from
Exhibit 4.15 to the Annual Report on Form 10-K of DISH DBS Corporation filed March 29, 2018).
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).
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).
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).
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).
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).
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).
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).
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).
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).
61
Table of Contents
4.15*
4.16*
4.17*
10.1*
10.2*
10.3*
10.4*
10.5*
10.6*
10.7*
10.8*
10.9*
10.10*
10.11*
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).
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).
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).
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). **
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). **
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). **
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). **
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). **
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).
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).
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).
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).
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). **
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). **
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Table of Contents
10.12*
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). **
10.13* 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). **
10.14*
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). **
10.15* 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).
10.16*
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).
10.17* 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).***
10.18* 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).
10.19*
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).
10.20*
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).
10.21*
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).
21☐ Subsidiaries of DISH Network Corporation.
31.1☐ Section 302 Certification of Chief Executive Officer.
31.2☐ Section 302 Certification of Chief Financial Officer.
32.1☐ Section 906 Certification of Chief Executive Officer.
32.2☐ Section 906 Certification of Chief Financial Officer.
97.1*
99.1*
Clawback Policy (incorporated by reference from Exhibit 97.1 to the Annual Report on Form 10-K of EchoStar
Corporation filed on February 29, 2024).
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).
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101☐
The following materials from the Annual Report on Form 10-K of DISH Network Corporation for the
year ended December 31, 2023, filed on March 29, 2024, 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 Stockholder’s
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.
Item 16. FORM 10-K SUMMARY
None
64
Table of Contents
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused
this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
SIGNATURES
DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
By:
/s/ Paul W. Orban
Paul W. Orban
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer,
DISH
Date: March 29, 2024
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following
persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
Signature
/s/ Hamid Akhavan
Hamid Akhavan
/s/ Paul W. Orban
Paul W. Orban
/s/ James S. Allen
James S. Allen
/s/ Charles W. Ergen
Charles W. Ergen
/s/ Tom A. Ortolf
Tom A. Ortolf
Title
President, Chief Executive Officer and Director
(Principal Executive Officer)
Date
March 29, 2024
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, DISH March 29, 2024
(Principal Financial Officer)
Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer
(Principal Accounting Officer)
Chairman
Director
March 29, 2024
March 29, 2024
March 29, 2024
65
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Consolidated Financial Statements:
INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Report of KPMG LLP, Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (PCAOB ID: 185)
Consolidated Balance Sheets
Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss)
Consolidated Statements of Changes in Stockholder’s Equity (Deficit)
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
`
F-1
Page
F-2
F-4
F-5
F-6
F-7
F-8
Table of Contents
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Stockholder and Board of Directors
DISH Network Corporation:
Opinion on the Consolidated Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of DISH Network Corporation and subsidiaries (the Company) as of
December 31, 2023 and 2022, the related consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income (loss), changes in
stockholder’s equity (deficit), and cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2023, and the related
notes (collectively, the consolidated financial statements).
In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of
December 31, 2023 and 2022, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended
December 31, 2023, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.
Going Concern
The accompanying consolidated financial statements and supplemental information have been prepared assuming that the Company will
continue as a going concern. As discussed in Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company has debt maturing in 2024
and expects to use a substantial amount of cash in the next twelve months. This raises substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a
going concern. Management’s plans in regard to these matters are also described in Note 1. The consolidated financial statements and
supplemental information do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
Basis for Opinion
These consolidated financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion
on these consolidated financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company
Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance
with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the
PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to
obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error
or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting.
As part of our audits, we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of
expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such
opinion.
Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether
due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis,
evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the
accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the
consolidated financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
F-2
Table of Contents
Critical Audit Matter
The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current period audit of the consolidated financial statements
that was communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that: (1) relates to accounts or disclosures that are
material to the consolidated financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The
communication of a critical audit matter does not alter in any way our opinion on the consolidated financial statements, taken as a whole,
and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matter below, providing a separate opinion on the critical audit matter or on the
accounts or disclosures to which it relates.
Sufficiency of audit evidence over revenue
As discussed in Note 14 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company reported $15.3 billion in total revenue for the
year ended December 31, 2023, which included Pay-TV and Retail Wireless revenue of $11.6 billion and $3.7 billion,
respectively. These categories of revenue have multiple revenue streams and certain aspects of the Company’s processes and
information technology (IT) systems differ among the revenue streams.
We identified the evaluation of sufficiency of audit evidence over certain revenue streams as a critical audit matter. Specifically,
subjective auditor judgment was required to evaluate that revenue data was captured and aggregated throughout these various IT
applications. Additionally, IT professionals with specialized skills and knowledge were required to evaluate the nature and
extent of evidence obtained over certain revenue streams.
The following are the primary procedures we performed to address this critical audit matter. We applied auditor judgment to
determine the nature and extent of procedures to be performed over revenue. For each revenue stream where procedures were
performed, we evaluated the design and tested the operating effectiveness of certain internal controls related to the Company’s
revenue recognition process, including recording of revenue. We also evaluated the design and tested the operating effectiveness
of certain general IT and application controls. We involved IT professionals with specialized skills and knowledge, who assisted
in testing certain IT applications used by the Company in its revenue recognition processes and the transfer of relevant revenue
data between certain systems used in the revenue recognition processes. For certain revenue streams, we assessed the recorded
revenue by comparing total cash received during the year, adjusted for reconciling items, to the revenue recognized. Such
assessment also evaluated the relevance and reliability of reconciling items to underlying documentation, including the changes
in accounts receivable and deferred revenue. For other revenue streams, we assessed the recorded amounts by sampling
transactions or confirming the price and quantity of items sold with third-party customers. Additionally, for other revenue
streams we performed a software-assisted data analysis to test relationships among certain revenue transactions. Through these
procedures we then compared the amounts recognized for consistency with underlying documentation, including contracts or
payment and transaction support.
We evaluated the sufficiency of audit evidence obtained by assessing the results of the procedures performed, including the
appropriateness of the nature and extent of such evidence.
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2002.
/s/ KPMG LLP
Denver, Colorado
March 29, 2024
F-3
Table of Contents
l4
DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(Dollars in thousands, except share amounts)
Assets
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents
Marketable investment securities
Trade accounts receivable, net of allowance for credit losses of $53,991 and $44,431, respectively
Inventory
Prepaids and other assets
Other current assets
Total current assets
Noncurrent Assets:
Restricted cash, cash equivalents and marketable investment securities
Property and equipment, net
Regulatory authorizations, net
Other investments, net
Operating lease assets
Other noncurrent assets, net
Intangible assets, net
Total noncurrent assets
Total assets
Liabilities and Stockholder's Equity (Deficit)
Current Liabilities:
Trade accounts payable
Deferred revenue and other
Accrued programming
Accrued interest
Other accrued expenses and liabilities
Current portion of long-term debt and finance lease obligations (Note 9)
Total current liabilities
Long-Term Obligations, Net of Current Portion:
Long-term debt and finance lease obligations, net of current portion (Note 9)
Deferred tax liabilities, net
Operating lease liabilities
Long-term deferred revenue and other long-term liabilities
Total long-term obligations, net of current portion
Total liabilities
Commitments and Contingencies (Note 13)
Redeemable noncontrolling interests (Note 2)
Stockholder's Equity (Deficit):
Common stock, $0 par value, 1,000 shares authorized, 1,000 shares issued and outstanding
Class A common stock, $0.01 par value, 1,600,000,000 shares authorized, 292,660,308 shares issued and
outstanding
Class B common stock, $0.01 par value, 800,000,000 shares authorized, 238,435,208 shares issued and
outstanding
Additional paid-in capital
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)
Accumulated earnings (deficit)
Total DISH Network stockholder's equity (deficit)
Noncontrolling interests
Total stockholder's equity (deficit)
Total liabilities and stockholder's equity (deficit)
As of December 31,
2023
2022
$
$
$
373,641
8,122
890,333
497,058
572,199
2,308
2,343,661
108,879
7,401,947
38,114,249
168,825
2,934,862
181,118
159,490
49,069,370
51,413,031
673,291
638,471
1,427,762
258,603
1,552,610
3,041,429
7,592,166
18,178,288
4,557,262
2,992,863
861,896
26,590,309
34,182,475
1,785,056
835,983
953,812
502,373
530,806
2,080
4,610,110
104,614
5,640,119
36,933,073
168,200
2,687,522
1,897,815
565,109
47,996,452
52,606,562
924,438
711,474
1,298,777
258,799
1,283,570
1,547,190
6,024,248
19,801,948
4,930,135
2,687,883
753,708
28,173,674
34,197,922
438,382
464,359
—
—
—
4,916,120
(2,676)
11,876,627
16,790,071
2,103
16,792,174
51,413,031
$
—
2,927
2,384
4,851,392
(3,029)
13,088,850
17,942,524
1,757
17,944,281
52,606,562
$
$
$
$
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
F-4
Table of Contents
DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS)
(In thousands)
Revenue:
Service revenue
Equipment sales and other revenue
Total revenue
Costs and Expenses (exclusive of depreciation and amortization):
Cost of services
Cost of sales - equipment and other
Selling, general and administrative expenses
Depreciation and amortization
Impairment of long-lived assets and goodwill (Note 2)
Total costs and expenses
Operating income (loss)
Other Income (Expense):
Interest income
Interest expense, net of amounts capitalized
Other, net (Note 5)
Total other income (expense)
Income (loss) before income taxes
Income tax (provision) benefit, net
Net income (loss)
Less: Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests, net of tax
Net income (loss) attributable to DISH Network
Comprehensive Income (Loss):
Net income (loss)
Other comprehensive income (loss):
Foreign currency translation adjustments
Unrealized holding gains (losses) on available-for-sale debt securities
Recognition of previously unrealized (gains) losses on available-for-sale
securities included in net income (loss)
Deferred income tax (expense) benefit, net
Total other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax
Comprehensive income (loss)
Less: Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling
interests, net of tax
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to DISH Network
$
$
$
$
For the Years Ended December 31,
2023
2022
2021
$
14,721,682
573,406
15,295,088
$
16,014,284
665,123
16,679,407
16,929,860
951,246
17,881,106
8,989,961
2,201,870
2,521,062
1,181,921
225,017
15,119,831
9,558,484
1,812,591
2,545,593
717,073
—
14,633,741
10,185,906
1,552,377
2,214,936
724,852
—
14,678,071
175,257
2,045,666
3,203,035
105,416
(38,881)
(1,741,876)
(1,675,341)
(1,500,084)
371,662
(1,128,422)
83,801
(1,212,223)
(1,128,422)
356
(267)
304
(40)
353
(1,128,069)
$
$
42,776
(22,781)
1,038,982
1,058,977
3,104,643
(731,736)
2,372,907
69,674
2,303,233
2,372,907
(4,160)
191
(7)
666
(3,310)
2,369,597
$
$
11,338
(16,174)
20,557
15,721
3,218,756
(762,810)
2,455,946
45,304
2,410,642
2,455,946
1,787
(208)
(13)
(430)
1,136
2,457,082
83,801
(1,211,870)
$
69,674
2,299,923
$
45,304
2,411,778
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
F-5
Table of Contents
DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN STOCKHOLDER’S EQUITY (DEFICIT)
(In thousands)
Balance, December 31, 2020
Issuance of Class A common stock:
Exercise of stock awards
Employee benefits
Employee Stock Purchase Plan
Non-cash, stock-based compensation
Convertible debt reclassified per ASU 2020-06, net of deferred
taxes of $245,778 (Note 2)
Other comprehensive income (loss)
Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests
Net income (loss) attributable to DISH Network
Balance, December 31, 2021
Issuance of Class A common stock:
Exercise of stock awards
Employee benefits
Employee Stock Purchase Plan
Non-cash, stock-based compensation
Other comprehensive income (loss)
Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests
Net income (loss) attributable to DISH Network
Balance, December 31, 2022
Issuance of Class A common stock:
Exercise of stock awards
Employee benefits
Employee Stock Purchase Plan
Non-cash, stock-based compensation
Other comprehensive income (loss)
Purchase of Northstar Manager, LLC's ownership interest in
Northstar Spectrum
Extinguishment of stock related to the merger with EchoStar
Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests
Net income (loss) attributable to DISH Network
Balance, December 31, 2023
$
$
$
Class A and B
Common
Stock
Additional
Paid-In
Capital
Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive
Income (Loss)
Accumulated
Earnings
(Deficit)
Noncontrolling
Interests
$
5,261 $
5,400,774 $
(855) $
8,374,975 $
490 $
Redeemable
Noncontrolling
Interests
350,648
Total
13,780,645 $
13
9
6
—
40,551
30,312
17,733
51,680
—
—
—
—
5,289 $
(805,566)
—
—
—
4,735,484 $
1
8
13
—
—
—
—
5,311
7
11
15
—
—
—
(5,344)
—
—
— $
199
26,340
17,919
71,450
—
—
—
4,851,392
$
$
(501)
14,669
9,073
36,143
—
—
5,344
—
—
4,916,120 $
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
40,564
30,321
17,739
51,680
—
1,136
—
—
281 $
—
—
—
2,410,642
10,785,617 $
—
—
730
—
1,220 $
(805,566)
1,136
730
2,410,642
15,527,891 $
—
—
—
—
(3,310)
—
—
(3,029)
—
—
—
—
353
—
—
—
—
—
—
2,303,233
13,088,850
$
$
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
537
—
1,757
—
—
—
—
—
200
26,348
17,932
71,450
(3,310)
537
2,303,233
17,944,281
$
$
(494)
14,680
9,088
36,143
353
—
—
—
—
—
44,574
—
395,222
—
—
—
—
—
69,137
—
464,359
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
(2,676) $
—
—
—
(1,212,223)
11,876,627 $
—
—
346
—
2,103 $
—
—
346
(1,212,223)
16,792,174 $
(109,432)
—
83,455
—
438,382
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
F-6
Table of Contents
DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(In thousands)
For the Years Ended December 31,
2022
2023
2021
Cash Flows From Operating Activities:
Net income (loss)
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash flows from operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization
Impairment of long-lived assets and goodwill (Note 2)
Realized and unrealized losses (gains) on investments, impairments and other
Realized and unrealized losses (gains) on derivatives
Non-cash, stock-based compensation
Deferred tax expense (benefit)
Changes in allowance for credit losses
Change in long-term deferred revenue and other long-term liabilities
Other, net
Changes in current assets and current liabilities, net
Trade accounts receivable
Prepaid and accrued income taxes
Inventory
Other current assets
Trade accounts payable
Deferred revenue and other
Accrued programming and other accrued expenses
Net cash flows from operating activities
Cash Flows From Investing Activities:
Purchases of marketable investment securities
Sales and maturities of marketable investment securities
Purchases of property and equipment
Capitalized interest related to regulatory authorizations (Note 2)
Refund of regulatory authorizations deposit
Purchases of regulatory authorizations, including deposits
Other, net
Net cash flows from investing activities
Cash Flows From Financing Activities:
Repayment of long-term debt and finance lease obligations
Redemption and repurchases of senior notes
Proceeds from issuance of senior notes
Repurchases of convertible notes
Early debt extinguishment gains (losses)
Net proceeds from Class A common stock options exercised and stock issued under the
Employee Stock Purchase Plan
Debt issuance costs and debt (discount) premium
Purchase of Northstar Manager, LLC's ownership interest in Northstar Spectrum
Other, net
Net cash flows from financing activities
$
(1,128,422)
$
2,372,907
$
2,455,946
1,181,921
225,017
(77,109)
1,693,387
36,143
(374,910)
9,560
24,436
209,034
33,189
3,053
2,658
(36,967)
13,507
(73,003)
255,545
1,997,039
(1,383,102)
2,253,639
(2,828,887)
(1,162,473)
—
(2,009)
14,075
(3,108,757)
(119,202)
(1,460,635)
1,500,000
(182,834)
73,024
8,594
21,635
(109,432)
(4,665)
(273,515)
717,073
—
(25,264)
(1,015,387)
71,450
702,735
5,819
86,039
235,856
(24,234)
(36,115)
36,722
27,992
79,116
(52,105)
(90,504)
3,092,100
(898,326)
3,023,236
(2,727,302)
(984,309)
—
(7,206,865)
6,527
(8,787,039)
(83,117)
(2,056,821)
2,000,000
—
—
18,132
(51,121)
—
(18,413)
(191,340)
724,852
—
6,724
13,000
51,680
602,044
(33,836)
(1,400)
98,278
209,456
81,197
(167,985)
(62,356)
101,034
(98,808)
51,425
4,031,251
(4,687,033)
2,069,343
(1,185,642)
(777,885)
337,490
(122,657)
(44,029)
(4,410,413)
(89,876)
(2,000,000)
6,750,000
—
—
58,303
(34,459)
—
(24,540)
4,659,428
Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash and cash equivalents
Cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period (Note 5)
Cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash and cash equivalents, end of period (Note 5)
$
(1,385,233)
1,847,981
462,748
(5,886,279)
7,734,260
1,847,981
$
$
4,280,266
3,453,994
7,734,260
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
F-7
Table of Contents
DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
1. Organization and Business Activities
Principal Business
DISH Network Corporation is a holding company. Its subsidiaries (which together with DISH Network Corporation
are referred to as “DISH Network,” the “Company,” “we,” “us” and/or “our,” unless otherwise required by the
context). DISH Network is a wholly-owned subsidiary of EchoStar Corporation (“EchoStar”), a publicly traded
company listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market (“NASDAQ”) under the symbol “SATS.”
Recent Developments
Merger with EchoStar
On December 31, 2023, EchoStar 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
EchoStar, EAV Corp., a Nevada corporation and its wholly owned subsidiary (“Merger Sub”), and DISH Network,
pursuant to which EchoStar 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 EchoStar’s wholly owned subsidiary.
On the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Amended Merger Agreement, on December 31, 2023, at
11:59 p.m. ET (the “Effective Time”), each share of DISH Network Class A common stock, par value $0.01 per share
(“DISH Network Class A Common Stock”) and DISH Network Class C common stock, par value $0.01 per share
(“DISH Network Class C Common Stock”) outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time, was converted into
the right to receive a number of validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable shares of EchoStar Class A common
stock, par value $0.001 per share (“EchoStar Class A Common Stock”) equal to 0.350877 (the “Exchange Ratio”). On
the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Amended Merger Agreement, at the Effective Time, each share
of DISH Network Class B common stock, par value $0.01 per share (“DISH Network Class B Common Stock” and,
together with DISH Network Class A Common Stock and DISH Network Class C Common Stock, “DISH Network
Common Stock”), outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time was converted into the right to receive a
number of validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable shares of EchoStar Class B common stock, par value $0.001
per share (the “EchoStar Class B Common Stock” and, together with the EchoStar Class A Common Stock, the
“EchoStar Common Stock”), equal to the Exchange Ratio. Any shares of DISH Network Common Stock that were
held in DISH Network’s treasury or held directly by EchoStar or Merger Sub immediately prior to the Effective Time
were cancelled and cease to exist and no consideration was paid in respect thereof. All shares of the DISH Network
Class A Common Stock were delisted from the NASDAQ Global Select Market and deregistered under the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
The EchoStar Common Stock issued to the Ergen DISH Stockholders (as defined in the Amended Merger Agreement)
as Merger consideration was issued through a private placement exemption from registration under the Securities Act
of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). At the Effective Time, each share of DISH Network Class A Common
Stock owned by the Ergen DISH Stockholders immediately prior to the Effective Time was converted into the right to
receive a number of shares of EchoStar Class A Common Stock equal to the Exchange Ratio, and (b) each share of
DISH Network Class B Common Stock owned by the Ergen DISH Stockholders immediately prior to the Effective
Time was converted into the right to receive a number of shares of EchoStar Class B Common Stock equal to the
Exchange Ratio.
Concurrently with the entry into the Amended Merger Agreement, the Ergen EchoStar Stockholders (as defined in the
Amended Merger Agreement), the Ergen DISH Stockholders (collectively, the “Ergen Stockholders”), EchoStar and
DISH Network entered into an amended and restated support agreement (the “Amended Support Agreement”).
In connection with the completion of the Merger, and pursuant to the Amended and Restated Support Agreement, on
December 31, 2023, EchoStar and the Ergen Stockholders entered into a registration rights agreement (the
“Registration Rights Agreement”).
F-8
Table of Contents
DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
The Registration Rights Agreement provides the Ergen Stockholders, and their affiliates who become parties thereto,
with certain registration rights relating to the shares of EchoStar Common Stock, which they beneficially own,
including (i) the right to demand shelf registration as well as registration on long and short form registration statements
and (ii) “piggyback” registration rights to be included in future registered offerings by us of our equity securities, in
each case, subject to certain requirements and customary conditions. The Registration Rights Agreement sets forth
customary registration procedures, including an agreement by EchoStar to make appropriate officers available to
participate in roadshow presentations and cooperate as reasonably requested in connection with any underwritten
offerings. EchoStar also agreed to indemnify the Ergen Stockholders and their affiliates with respect to liabilities
resulting from untrue statements or omissions in any registration statement used in any such registration, other than
untrue statements or omissions based on or contained in information furnished to EchoStar for use in a registration
statement by a participating stockholder.
For more information and a copy of the Amended Merger Agreement, the Amended Support Agreement and the
Registration Rights Agreement, see the Form 8-K of EchoStar filed on October 3, 2023 and the Form 8-K of EchoStar
filed on January 2, 2024.
With the Merger complete, we are currently focused on the process of integrating our and EchoStar’s business in a
manner that facilitates synergies, cost savings, growth opportunities and achieves other anticipated benefits
(the “Integration”).
As a result of the merger with EchoStar effective December 31, 2023, all of our outstanding shares are held by
EchoStar. Therefore, certain disclosures related to outstanding shares and equity have been omitted.
Future Capital Requirements
The consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles
on a going concern basis, which contemplates the realization of assets and the satisfaction of liabilities in the normal
course of business.
Our cash and cash equivalents and marketable investment securities totaled $382 million as of December 31, 2023
(“Cash on Hand”). As reflected in the consolidated financial statements as of December 31, 2023, we have $951
million and $1.983 billion of debt maturing in March and November 2024, respectively, as well as a $438 million
obligation related to the SNR put right and for calendar year 2024 we are forecasting negative cash flows. Our parent,
EchoStar, satisfied the SNR obligation out of its cash and cash equivalents and marketable investment securities on
February 16, 2024. The remaining balance of $951 million on our 2 3/8% Convertible Notes matured on March 15,
2024 and was paid with Cash on Hand, cash flow from operations and funds from certain strategic transactions
including the sale of our wholly-owned subsidiary which holds the 700 MHz Spectrum to a wholly-owned subsidiary
of our parent, EchoStar, on March 12, 2024. See Note 9 for further information.
Because we do not currently have committed financing to fund our operations for at least twelve months from the
issuance of these consolidated financial statements, substantial doubt exists about our and our parent, EchoStar’s,
ability to continue as a going concern. As discussed above, we used Cash on Hand, cash flow from operations and
funds from certain strategic transactions including the sale of our wholly-owned subsidiary which holds the 700 MHz
Spectrum to a wholly-owned subsidiary of our parent, EchoStar, to pay the March 2024 debt maturity. We do not
currently have the necessary Cash on Hand and/or projected future cash flows to fund the November 2024 debt
maturity. To address our capital needs, we are in active discussions with funding sources to raise additional capital and
restructure our outstanding debt. We cannot provide assurances that we will be successful in obtaining such new
financing and/or restructuring the existing debt obligations necessary for us to have sufficient liquidity. Further, if we
are not successful in these endeavors, then capital expenditures to meet future FCC build out requirements and
wireless customer growth initiatives will be adversely affected.
In addition, our parent, EchoStar, may not be able to provide additional liquidity in the future.
The consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments to the amount and classification of assets and
liabilities that may be necessary should we not continue as a going concern.
F-9
Table of Contents
Segments
DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
We currently operate three primary business segments: (1) Pay-TV; (2) Retail Wireless and (3) 5G Network
Deployment.
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, Federal Communications Commission (“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, 2023, we had
8.526 million Pay-TV subscribers in the United States, including 6.471 million DISH TV subscribers and 2.055
million SLING TV subscribers.
Retail Wireless
We offer nationwide prepaid and postpaid retail wireless services to subscribers primarily under our Boost Mobile®,
Boost postpaid and Gen Mobile® brands (“Retail Wireless” services), as well as a competitive portfolio of wireless
devices. 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 financing arrangements for wireless devices.
We are currently operating our Retail Wireless segment primarily as a mobile virtual network operator (“MVNO”) as
we continue our 5G Network Deployment and commercialize our 5G Network, as defined below. We are transitioning
our Retail Wireless segment to a mobile network operator (“MNO”) as our 5G Network becomes commercially
available and we are currently activating subscribers onto our 5G Network in markets where we have reached voice
over new radio (“VoNR”). As an MVNO, today we depend 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. Under the NSA, we expect AT&T will become our primary network services provider. As of
December 31, 2023, we had 7.378 million Wireless subscribers.
Other Developments
We regularly evaluate ways to enhance our business. As part of this process, we are in regular dialogue with interested
parties who may assist us in accomplishing our goals, including ongoing conversations with CONX Corp. (an entity
partially owned by Charles W. Ergen, our Chairman) regarding a transaction involving our Retail Wireless segment.
There can be no assurance that these discussions will lead to a transaction nor as to the structure or terms of any such
transaction.
5G Network Deployment
We have invested a total of over $30 billion in Wireless spectrum licenses, which includes over $10 billion in initial
noncontrolling investments in certain entities. The $30 billion of investments related to Wireless spectrum licenses
does not include $9 billion of capitalized interest related to the carrying value of such licenses. See Note 2 and Note
13 for further information.
F-10
Table of Contents
DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
We will need to raise additional capital in the future, which may not be available on favorable terms, 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
profitably deploy these Wireless spectrum licenses, which may affect the carrying amount of these assets and our
future financial condition or results of operations. See Note 13 for further information.
DISH Network Spectrum
We have invested a total of over $30 billion to acquire certain Wireless spectrum licenses. These Wireless spectrum
licenses are subject to certain interim and final build-out requirements, as well as certain renewal requirements. We
plan 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
deploy a facilities-based 5G broadband network (our “5G Network”) capable of serving increasingly larger portions of
the U.S. population at different deadlines, including 20% of the U.S. population by June 2022 and 70% of the U.S.
population by June 2023. If by June 2023, we are offering 5G broadband service to at least 50% of the U.S.
population but less than 70% of the U.S. population, the 70% June 2023 deadline will be extended automatically to
June 2025; however, as a result, we may, under certain circumstances, potentially be subject to certain penalties. On
June 14, 2022, we announced we had successfully reached our 20% population coverage requirement. In addition, we
announced and certified to the FCC that as of June 14, 2023, we offer 5G broadband service to over 73% of the U.S.
population, or more than 246 million Americans nationwide. On September 29, 2023, the FCC confirmed we have
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 confirmed using the drive test methodology agreed to and approved by the
FCC and overseen by an independent monitor. We now have the largest commercial deployment of 5G VoNR in the
world reaching approximately 200 million Americans, and 5G broadband service reaching approximately 250 million
Americans.
As a result of us providing 5G broadband service to over 50% of the U.S. population by June 14, 2023, the final build-
out deadlines have been extended automatically to June 14, 2025 for us to offer 5G broadband service to at least 70%
of the population in each Economic Area for the 700 MHz Licenses and AWS-4 Licenses and at least 75% of the
population in each Economic Area for the H Block 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 plan to raise additional capital, which may not be available on favorable terms. We may also determine
that additional wireless spectrum licenses may be required for our 5G Network Deployment and to compete effectively
with other wireless service providers. See Note 13 for further information.
DISH Network Noncontrolling Investments in the Northstar Entities and the SNR Entities Related to AWS-3 Wireless
Spectrum Licenses
During 2015, through our wholly-owned subsidiaries American AWS-3 Wireless II L.L.C. (“American II”) and
American AWS-3 Wireless III L.L.C. (“American III”), we initially made over $10 billion in certain noncontrolling
investments in Northstar Spectrum, LLC (“Northstar Spectrum”), the parent company of Northstar Wireless, L.L.C.
(“Northstar Wireless,” and collectively with Northstar Spectrum, the “Northstar Entities”), and in SNR Wireless
HoldCo, LLC (“SNR HoldCo”), the parent company of SNR Wireless LicenseCo, LLC (“SNR Wireless,” and
collectively with SNR HoldCo, the “SNR Entities”), respectively. On October 27, 2015, the FCC granted certain
AWS-3 wireless spectrum licenses (the “AWS-3 Licenses”) to Northstar Wireless and to SNR Wireless, respectively,
which are recorded in “Regulatory authorizations, net” on our Consolidated Balance Sheets.
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DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
Under the applicable accounting guidance in Accounting Standards Codification 810, Consolidation (“ASC 810”),
Northstar Spectrum and SNR HoldCo are considered variable interest entities (“VIEs”) and, based on the
characteristics of the structure of these entities and in accordance with the applicable accounting guidance, we
consolidate these entities into our financial statements. On October 12, 2023, the FCC consented to the sale of
Northstar Manager, LLC’s (“Northstar Manager”) ownership interests in Northstar Spectrum, which we purchased for
a total of approximately $109 million. This purchase resulted in the elimination of all of our redeemable
noncontrolling interest as it related to Northstar Spectrum as of the purchase date and we continue to consolidate the
Northstar Entities as wholly-owned subsidiaries. Subsequent to December 31, 2023, the FCC consented to the sale of
SNR Wireless Management, LLC’s (“SNR Management”) ownership interests in SNR HoldCo, which was purchased
by our parent’s direct wholly-owned subsidiary EchoStar SNR HoldCo L.L.C. for a total of approximately $442
million on February 16, 2024. This purchase resulted in the conversion of our outstanding redeemable noncontrolling
interest as it relates to SNR HoldCo to noncontrolling interest, which is now held by our parent, EchoStar, as of the
purchase date. See Note 2 for further information.
Other Developments
Cyber-Security Incident
On February 23, 2023, we experienced a network outage that affected our internal servers and IT telephony. We
immediately activated our incident response and business continuity plans designed to contain, remediate and recover
from the situation. We engaged the services of certain cyber-security experts and outside advisors to assist in the
evaluation of the situation, and once we determined that the outage was due to a cyber-security incident, we promptly
notified appropriate law enforcement authorities.
On February 28, 2023, we further disclosed that certain data had been extracted from our IT systems. Our
investigation into the extent of the incident is now completed. We determined that our customer databases were not
accessed, however, we confirmed that certain employee-related records as well as a limited number of other records
containing certain personal information were among the data extracted. We took steps to protect the affected records,
received confirmation that the extracted data was deleted and notified individuals whose data was extracted.
Our DISH TV, SLING TV and Retail Wireless services, along with our wireless and data networks remained
operational at all times during the incident. As of March 31, 2023, all significant systems had been restored.
During the first quarter of 2023, we incurred substantially all of our cyber-security-related expenses for this matter,
including, but not limited to, costs to remediate the incident and provide additional customer support. During the
second, third and fourth quarters of 2023, we did not incur additional material expenses resulting from the cyber-
security incident and do not expect to incur material expenses in future periods. During the year ended December 31,
2023, we incurred approximately $30 million in cyber-security-related expenses, which are recorded in “Cost of
services” on our Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss).
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DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Principles of Consolidation and Basis of Presentation
The accompanying consolidated financial statements include all balances and results of operations of DISH Network
and our consolidated subsidiaries and are prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles
(“GAAP”). We consolidate all majority owned subsidiaries, investments in entities in which we have controlling
influence and VIEs where we have been determined to be the primary beneficiary. Minority interests are recorded as
noncontrolling interests or redeemable noncontrolling interests. See below for further information. Non-consolidated
investments are accounted for using the equity method when we have the ability to significantly influence the
operating decisions of the investee. When we do not have the ability to significantly influence the operating decisions
of an investee, these equity securities are classified as either marketable investment securities or other investments,
which will be initially recorded at cost, and based on observable market prices, will be adjusted to their fair value. We
record fair value adjustments in “Other, net” within “Other Income (Expense)” on our Consolidated Statements of
Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss). All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been
eliminated in consolidation. Certain prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current period
presentation.
Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests
Northstar Wireless. Northstar Wireless is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Northstar Spectrum, which is an entity owned
by Northstar Manager and us. Under the applicable accounting guidance in ASC 810, Northstar Spectrum is
considered a VIE and, based on the characteristics of the structure of this entity and in accordance with the applicable
accounting guidance, we consolidate Northstar Spectrum into our financial statements. The Northstar Operative
Agreements, as amended, provide for, among other things, that Northstar Manager has the ability, but not the
obligation, to require Northstar Spectrum to purchase Northstar Manager’s ownership interests in Northstar Spectrum
(the “Northstar Put Right”) for a purchase price that equals its equity contribution to Northstar Spectrum plus a fixed
annual rate of return.
The First Northstar Put Window closed in the first quarter of 2021. On October 21, 2022, we, through our wholly-
owned subsidiary American II received notice that Northstar Manager exercised the Northstar Put Right effective as of
October 21, 2022. As of December 31, 2022, the aggregate value of the Northstar Put Right accrued to $96 million.
On October 12, 2023, the FCC consented to the sale of Northstar Manager’s ownership interests in Northstar
Spectrum, which we purchased for a total of approximately $109 million. This purchase resulted in the elimination of
all of our redeemable noncontrolling interest as it related to Northstar Spectrum as of the purchase date and we
continue to consolidate the Northstar Entities as wholly-owned subsidiaries.
Northstar Spectrum does not have a call right with respect to Northstar Manager’s ownership interests in Northstar
Spectrum. Although Northstar Manager is the sole manager of Northstar Spectrum, Northstar Manager’s ownership
interest was considered temporary equity under the applicable accounting guidance and was recorded as part of
“Redeemable noncontrolling interests” in the mezzanine section of our Consolidated Balance Sheets. Northstar
Manager’s ownership interest in Northstar Spectrum was initially accounted for at fair value. Subsequently, Northstar
Manager’s ownership interest in Northstar Spectrum was increased by the fixed annual rate of return through
“Redeemable noncontrolling interests” on our Consolidated Balance Sheets, with the offset recorded in “Net income
(loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests, net of tax” on our Consolidated Statements of Operations and
Comprehensive Income (Loss). The operating results of Northstar Spectrum attributable to Northstar Manager were
recorded as “Redeemable noncontrolling interests” on our Consolidated Balance Sheets, with the offset recorded in
“Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests, net of tax” on our Consolidated Statements of Operations
and Comprehensive Income (Loss). See Note 13 for further information.
SNR Wireless. SNR Wireless is a wholly-owned subsidiary of SNR HoldCo, which is an entity owned by SNR
Management and us. Under the applicable accounting guidance in ASC 810, SNR HoldCo is considered a VIE and,
based on the characteristics of the structure of this entity and in accordance with the applicable accounting guidance,
we consolidate SNR HoldCo into our financial statements. The SNR Operative Agreements, as amended, provide for,
among other things, that SNR Management has the ability, but not the obligation, to require SNR HoldCo to purchase
SNR Management’s ownership interests in SNR HoldCo (the “SNR Put Right”) for a purchase price that equals its
equity contribution to SNR HoldCo plus a fixed annual rate of return.
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DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
The First SNR Put Window closed in the first quarter of 2021. On November 15, 2021, we, through our wholly-owned
subsidiary American III received notice that SNR Management exercised the SNR Put Right effective as of November
15, 2021. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, the aggregate value of the SNR Put Right had accrued to approximately
$438 million and $368 million, respectively. Subsequent to December 31, 2023, the FCC consented to the sale of SNR
Management’s ownership interests in SNR HoldCo, which was purchased by our parent’s direct wholly-owned
subsidiary EchoStar SNR HoldCo L.L.C. for a total of approximately $442 million on February 16, 2024. This
purchase resulted in the conversion of our outstanding redeemable noncontrolling interest as it relates to SNR HoldCo
to noncontrolling interest, which is now held by our parent, EchoStar, as of the purchase date.
SNR HoldCo does not have a call right with respect to SNR Management’s ownership interests in SNR HoldCo.
Although SNR Management is the sole manager of SNR HoldCo, SNR Management’s ownership interest is
considered temporary equity under the applicable accounting guidance and is thus recorded as part of “Redeemable
noncontrolling interests” in the mezzanine section of our Consolidated Balance Sheets. SNR Management’s
ownership interest in SNR HoldCo was initially accounted for at fair value. Subsequently, SNR Management’s
ownership interest in SNR HoldCo is increased by the fixed annual rate of return through “Redeemable noncontrolling
interests” on our Consolidated Balance Sheets, with the offset recorded in “Net income (loss) attributable to
noncontrolling interests, net of tax” on our Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss).
The operating results of SNR HoldCo attributable to SNR Management are recorded as “Redeemable noncontrolling
interests” on our Consolidated Balance Sheets, with the offset recorded in “Net income (loss) attributable to
noncontrolling interests, net of tax” on our Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss).
See Note 13 for further information.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires us to make certain estimates and
assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities
at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expense for each reporting period.
Estimates are based on historical experience, observable market inputs, and other reasonable assumptions in
accounting for, among other things, allowances for credit losses (including those related to our installment billing
programs), self-insurance obligations, deferred taxes and related valuation allowances, uncertain tax positions, loss
contingencies, fair value of financial instruments, fair value of options granted under EchoStar’s stock-based
compensation plans, fair value of assets and liabilities acquired in business combinations, the fair value of our option
to purchase T-Mobile’s 800 MHz spectrum, inputs used to recognize revenue over time, including the relative
standalone selling prices of performance obligations, finance leases, asset impairments, estimates of future cash flows
used to evaluate and recognize impairments, useful lives of property, equipment and intangible assets, incremental
borrowing rate (“IBR”) on lease right of use assets, nonrefundable upfront fees, independent third-party retailer
incentives, programming expenses and subscriber lives. Economic conditions may increase the inherent uncertainty in
the estimates and assumptions indicated above. 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.
Cash and Cash Equivalents
We consider all liquid investments purchased with a remaining maturity of 90 days or less at the date of acquisition to
be cash equivalents. Cash equivalents as of December 31, 2023 and 2022 may consist of money market funds,
government bonds, corporate notes and commercial paper. The amortized cost of these investments approximates their
fair value.
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DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
Concentration of Credit Risk
Cash and cash equivalents are maintained with several financial institutions domestically and internationally. Deposits
held with banks may exceed the amount of insurance provided on such deposits. Generally, these deposits may be
redeemed upon demand and are maintained with financial institutions with investment-grade credit ratings. We
routinely assess the financial strength of significant customers, and this assessment, combined with the large number
and geographical diversity of its customers, limits our concentration of risk with respect to receivables from contracts
with customers.
Marketable Investment Securities
All equity securities are carried at fair value, with changes in fair value recognized in “Other, net” within “Other
Income (Expense)” on our Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss).
All debt securities are classified as available-for-sale and are recorded at fair value. We report the temporary
unrealized gains and losses related to changes in market conditions of marketable debt securities as a separate
component of “Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)” within “Stockholder’s Equity (Deficit),” net of
related deferred income tax on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. The changes in the fair value of marketable debt
securities, which are determined to be company specific credit losses are recorded in “Other, net” within “Other
Income (Expense)” on our Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss). Interest income
from available for sale debt securities is reported in “Interest income, net” on our Consolidated Statements of
Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss).
We evaluate our debt investment portfolio to determine whether declines in the fair value of these securities are related
to credit loss. Management estimates credit losses on marketable debt securities utilizing a credit loss impairment
model on a quarterly basis. We estimate the expected credit losses, measured over the contractual life of marketable
debt securities considering relevant issuer specific factors, including, but not limited to, a decrease in credit ratings or
an entity’s ability to pay.
Receivables and Related Allowance for Credit Losses
General Accounts Receivable
Trade accounts receivable represent our unconditional rights to consideration arising from our performance under our
customer contracts and are recorded at cost less an allowance for expected credit losses that are not expected to be
recovered. We maintain allowances for credit losses resulting from the expected failure or inability of our customers
to make required payments. We recognize the allowance for expected credit losses at inception and reassess quarterly
based on management’s expectation of the asset’s collectability. Management estimates credit losses on financial
assets, including our trade accounts receivable, utilizing a current expected credit loss impairment model. We estimate
the expected credit losses, measured over the contractual life of an asset considering relevant historical loss
information, credit quality of the customer base, current economic conditions and forecasts of future economic
conditions.
In determining the allowance for credit losses, management groups similar types of financial assets with consistent risk
characteristics. Pools identified by management include, but are not limited to residential customers, commercial
customers and advertising services. The risk characteristics of the financial asset portfolios are monitored by
management and reviewed periodically. The forecasts for future economic conditions are based on several factors
including, but not limited to, changes in the unemployment rate, external economic forecasts and current collection
rates. Our estimates of the allowance for credit losses may not be indicative of our actual credit losses requiring
additional charges to be incurred to reflect the actual amount collected. Past due trade accounts receivable balances
are written off against our allowance for credit losses when our internal collection efforts have been unsuccessful.
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DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
Installments Receivable
We offer Boost postpaid customers the option to pay for their devices and other equipment in installments generally
over a period of 36 months. Installments receivable are presented on our Consolidated Balance Sheets at their
amortized cost basis (i.e., the receivables’ unpaid balance as adjusted for any written-off amounts due to impairment
and unamortized discounts), net of the allowance for credit losses. At the time of an installment sale, we impute a
discount for interest if the term exceeds 12 months as there is no stated rate of interest on the receivables. The
receivables are recorded at their present value, which is determined by discounting expected future cash payments at
the imputed interest rate. The current portion of installments receivable is included in “Trade accounts receivable, net”
and the long-term portion of installments receivable is included in “Other noncurrent assets, net” on our Consolidated
Balance Sheets. This adjustment results in a discount or reduction in the transaction price of the contract with a
customer, which is allocated to the performance obligations of the arrangement such as Equipment and other revenues
on our Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss). The imputed discount rate reflects
a current market interest rate and is predominately comprised of the estimated credit risk underlying the installment
receivable, reflecting the estimated credit worthiness of the customer. The imputed discount on receivables is
amortized over the financed installment term using the effective interest method and recognized in “Equipment and
other revenues” on our Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss).
Inventory
Inventory is stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value. Cost is determined using the first-in, first-out method.
The cost of manufactured inventory includes the cost of materials, labor, freight-in, royalties and manufacturing
overhead. Net realizable value is calculated as the estimated selling price less reasonable costs necessary to complete,
sell, transport and dispose of the inventory. We record write downs for inventory for obsolete and slow moving items
based on trends and experience. We enter into arrangements with distributors where physical delivery of a product to a
distributor has occurred, but we maintain control of the product until such time it is sold to an end consumer. For these
arrangements, we account for the products as consigned inventory.
Property and Equipment
Property and equipment, including capitalized expenditures related to our wireless projects, 5G Network Deployment
and satellites, are stated at cost less depreciation and impairment losses, if any. Capitalized expenditures include the
cost of long-lived assets, plus the cost to construct the asset such as labor and overhead directly benefiting the asset.
Interest is capitalized when pre-construction activity commences and ends once the asset is ready for its intended
purpose. Our equipment leased to customers is generally capitalized when they are installed in customers’ homes. We
have certain assets acquired under finance leases. The recorded costs of those assets are the present values of all lease
payments. We amortize our finance lease right of use (“ROU”) assets over their respective lease terms.
If a satellite were to fail while in-orbit, the resultant loss would be charged to expense in the period such loss was
incurred. The amount of any such loss would be reduced to the extent of insurance proceeds estimated to be received,
if any. Depreciation is recorded on a straight-line basis over useful lives ranging from two to 40 years. Repair and
maintenance costs are charged to expense when incurred. Renewals and improvements that add value or extend the
asset’s useful life are capitalized.
Internal Use Software
We capitalize certain costs related to developing or acquiring internal use software. Capitalization of software costs
begins once the preliminary project stage is completed and we commit to funding the software project. Capitalizing
ceases when the software project is ready for its intended use. Capitalized software costs are recorded in “Property
and equipment, net” on our Consolidated Balance Sheets and are amortized over the estimated useful life of the
software.
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DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
Asset Retirement Obligation
We record an asset retirement obligation for the estimated fair value of legal obligations associated with the retirement
of tangible long-lived assets and a corresponding increase in the carrying amount of the related asset in the period in
which the obligation is incurred. In periods subsequent to initial measurement, we recognize changes in the liability
resulting from the passage of time and revisions to either the timing or the amount of the original estimate. Over time,
the liability is accreted to its present value and the capitalized cost is depreciated over the estimated useful life of the
asset. Our asset retirement obligations relate primarily to certain legal obligations to remediate leased property on our
communication towers and are recorded in “Property and equipment, net” with the related liability recorded in “Long-
term deferred revenue and other long-term liabilities” on our Consolidated Balance Sheets.
Other Investments
Equity Method Investments
We use the equity method to account for investments when we have the ability to exercise significant influence on the
operating decisions of the affiliate. Such investments are initially recorded at cost and subsequently adjusted for our
proportionate share of the net earnings or loss of the investee, which is reported in “Other, net” on our Consolidated
Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss). The carrying amount of such investments includes a
component of goodwill when the cost of our investment exceeds the fair value of the underlying identifiable assets and
liabilities of the affiliate. Dividends received from these affiliates reduces the carrying amount of our investment.
Cost Method Investments
We generally measure investments in non-publicly traded equity instruments without a readily determinable fair value
at cost adjusted for observable price changes in orderly transactions for the identical or similar securities of the same
issuer and changes resulting from impairments, if any. Other equity instruments are measured to determine their value
based on observable market information. When we adjust the carrying amount of an investment to its estimated fair
value, the gain or loss is recorded in “Other, net” on our Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive
Income (Loss).
Impairment Considerations
We periodically evaluate all of our other investments to determine whether events or changes in circumstances have
occurred that may have a significant adverse effect on the fair value of the investment. We consider information if
provided to us by our investees such as current financial statements, business plans, investment documentation,
capitalization tables, liquidation waterfalls, and board materials; and we may make additional inquiries of investee
management.
Indicators of impairment may include, but are not limited to, unprofitable operations, material loss contingencies,
changes in business strategy, changes in market trends or market conditions, changes in the investees’ enterprise value
and changes in the investees’ investment pricing. When we determine that one of our other investments is impaired we
reduce its carrying value to its estimated fair value and recognize the impairment loss in “Other, net” on our
Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss).
Derivative Instruments
We may purchase and hold derivative financial instruments for, among other reasons, strategic or speculative purposes.
We record derivative financial instruments on our Consolidated Balance Sheets at fair value as either assets or liabilities.
Changes in the fair values of derivative financial instruments are recognized in our results of operations and included in
“Other, net” within “Other Income (Expense)” on our Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income
(Loss). We have not designated any derivative financial instrument for hedge accounting.
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DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
We have the option to purchase certain of T-Mobile’s 800 MHz spectrum licenses from T-Mobile at a fixed price in the
future as part of the Boost Mobile Acquisition and have written certain contracts on the equity of EchoStar. See Note
5 and Note 9 for further information.
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets and Finite-Lived Intangible Assets
We review our long-lived assets and identifiable finite-lived intangible assets for impairment whenever events or
changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. Intangible assets that
have finite lives are amortized over their estimated useful lives. For assets which are held and used in operations, the
asset would be impaired if the carrying amount of the asset (or asset group) exceeded its undiscounted future net cash
flows. When an impairment is determined, the actual impairment recognized is the difference between the carrying
amount and the fair value as estimated using one of the following approaches: income, cost and/or market. In the
event of an impairment, a loss is recorded in “Impairment of long-lived assets and goodwill” on our Consolidated
Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss) based on the amount by which the carrying amount
exceeds the fair value of the long-lived asset or asset group. Assets which are to be disposed of are reported at the
lower of the carrying amount or fair value less costs to sell.
Fair value, using the income approach, is determined primarily using a discounted cash flow model that uses the
estimated cash flows associated with the asset or asset group under review, discounted at a rate commensurate with the
risk involved. Fair value, utilizing the cost approach, is determined based on the replacement cost of the asset reduced
for, among other things, depreciation and obsolescence. Fair value, utilizing the market approach, benchmarks the fair
value against the carrying amount.
DBS Satellites
We currently evaluate our DBS satellite fleet for impairment as one asset group whenever events or changes in
circumstances indicate that its carrying amount may not be recoverable. We do not believe any triggering event has
occurred which would indicate impairment as of December 31, 2023 and 2022. We will continue to monitor the DBS
satellite fleet for indicators of impairment.
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets
Intangible assets include customer relationships, trademarks, and certain below market contracts. These assets are
amortized over their respective useful lives. We do not believe any triggering event has occurred which would indicate
impairment as of December 31, 2023 and 2022.
Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets and Goodwill
We do not amortize indefinite-lived intangible assets and goodwill but test these assets for impairment annually, during
the fourth quarter or more often if indicators of impairment arise. We have the option to first perform a qualitative
assessment to determine whether it is necessary to perform a quantitative impairment test. However, we may elect to
bypass the qualitative assessment in any period and proceed directly to performing the quantitative impairment test.
Our intangible assets with indefinite lives primarily consist of FCC licenses and certain other contractual or regulatory
rights to use spectrum at specified orbital locations. Generally, we have determined that our FCC licenses have
indefinite useful lives due to the following:
● FCC licenses are a non-depleting asset;
● existing FCC licenses are integral to our business segments and will contribute to cash flows indefinitely;
● replacement satellite applications are generally authorized by the FCC subject to certain conditions, without
substantial cost under a stable regulatory, legislative and legal environment;
● maintenance expenditures to obtain future cash flows are not significant;
● FCC licenses are not technologically dependent; and
● we intend to use these assets indefinitely.
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DBS Licenses
DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
We combine all of our indefinite-lived DBS licenses that we currently utilize or plan to utilize in the future into a
single unit of accounting. For 2023, 2022 and 2021, management performed a qualitative assessment to determine
whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of the DBS licenses exceeds the carrying amount. In our
assessment, we considered several factors, including, among others, overall financial performance, industry and
market considerations, and relevant company specific events. In contemplating all factors in their totality, we
concluded that it is more likely than not that the fair value of the DBS licenses exceeds its carrying amount. As such,
no further analysis was required.
Wireless Spectrum Licenses
During 2022, we acquired the 3.45-3.55 GHz wireless licenses (the “3.45–3.55 GHz Licenses”). During 2021, we
acquired the 3550-3650 MHz (CBRS) and 3.7-3.98 GHz wireless licenses, together (the “C-Band Licenses”). During
2020, we acquired the 37 GHz, 39 GHz, and 47 GHz wireless licenses and during 2019, we acquired the 24 GHz and
28 GHz wireless licenses, together (the “High-Band Licenses”).
In 2023 and 2022, we combined our 600 MHz, 700 MHz, AWS-4, H Block, High-Band Licenses, C-Band Licenses,
3.45–3.55 GHz Licenses and the Northstar Licenses and SNR Licenses into a single unit of accounting. In 2021, we
combined our 600 MHz, 700 MHz, AWS-4, H Block, High-Band Licenses, C-Band Licenses and the Northstar
Licenses and SNR Licenses into a single unit of accounting.
In 2023, we quantitatively assessed these licenses for impairment. Our quantitative assessment consisted of a market
approach performed by a third party and reviewed by management.
Market Approach. Currently frequencies in the 500 kHz to 30 GHz make up the bulk of commercial use in the United
States. Spectrum bands can be grouped into four categories: low-band (less than 1 GHz), lower mid-band (1-2 GHz),
upper mid-band (primarily 2-4 GHz) and high-band (generally above 24 GHz). Radio frequencies have different
characteristics with regard to the distance they will travel and their ability to penetrate structures. Lower band
frequency bands require less power to travel large distances and propagate well providing geographic coverage,
whereas higher bandwidth spectrum is favored in urban settings where the goal is increased data capacity and cell sites
are dense, with limited coverage areas.
Spectrum is licensed by geographic areas that can vary from the size of a county to significantly larger expanses.
Licenses can cover densely populated urban areas to sparsely populated rural regions. Pricing for spectrum licenses
will vary, sometimes significantly based on the frequency, population area or restrictions associated with the
authorization for use obtained from the FCC. Population or “Pop” is a key input to valuing each geographic license.
The amount of spectrum included in a license is measured in terms of megahertz, referred to as “MHz.” The wider the
band the greater the MHz.
The market approach assessed the value of our spectrum using benchmarks, based on market transactions, which may
include spectrum auctions and secondary market transactions, either acquisitions of spectrum or of businesses for
which spectrum values can reliably be inferred. The market approach looked at the value of each band of our spectrum
by block and geographic area based on pairing the spectrum in a manner that yielded its highest and best use. Prices
were then calculated on an amount per MHz-Pop basis (where the numerator is the total value of the licenses and the
denominator is the product of the population and MHz) based upon the most relevant data points. Finally, a discount
was applied to the analysis for lack of marketability on certain of our holdings based on sale restrictions associated
with those specific bands.
Our spectrum holdings include low-band, lower mid-band, upper mid-band (collectively referred to as “Low-Mid
Band Licenses”) and high-band licenses.
As part of our impairment assessment we performed the market approach during the fourth quarter of 2023 and
concluded that the fair value of these licenses are substantially in excess of their carrying value.
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DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
In 2022, management performed a quantitative assessment to determine whether the fair value of these licenses exceed
the carrying amount. In our assessment, we performed the market approach and the income approach during the fourth
quarter of 2022 and concluded that under both scenarios the fair value of these licenses are substantially in excess of
their carrying value.
In 2021, management performed a qualitative assessment to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair
value of these licenses exceed the carrying amount. In our assessment, we considered several factors, including,
among other things, the projected financial performance of our Wireless segment, the business enterprise value of our
Wireless segment, and market transactions for wireless spectrum licenses including auction results. In assessing these
factors, we considered both macroeconomic conditions and industry and market conditions. In contemplating all
factors in their totality, we concluded that it is more likely than not that the fair value of these licenses exceeds their
carrying amount.
During 2023, 2022, and 2021, our multichannel video distribution and data service (“MVDDS”) wireless spectrum
licenses were assessed as a single unit of accounting. For 2023, 2022 and 2021, management assessed these licenses
qualitatively. Our qualitative assessment focused on recent auction results and historical market activity. We
concluded that it is more likely than not that the fair value of these licenses exceeded their carrying amount.
Changes in circumstances or market conditions could result in a write-down of any of the above Wireless spectrum
licenses in the future.
Goodwill
Goodwill represents the excess of the consideration transferred over the estimated fair values of assets acquired and
liabilities assumed as of the acquisition date. We test goodwill for impairment at the reporting unit level, which
includes, among others, the SLING TV, DISH TV, Retail Wireless and 5G Network Deployment reporting units.
Historically the majority of our goodwill relates to the Retail Wireless and 5G Network Deployment segments.
We perform our annual impairment assessment for goodwill and other indefinite-lived intangible assets each year
during the fourth quarter or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate an impairment may be
possible. We may consider qualitative factors to assess if it is more likely than not that the fair value for goodwill is
below the carrying amount. If we determine in the qualitative assessment that it is more likely than not that the fair
value is less than its carrying value, then we perform a quantitative assessment to determine the estimated fair value of
the reporting unit. We may also elect to bypass the qualitative assessment and perform a quantitative assessment.
Our assessment process included, among other things, discounted cash flow analyses, consideration of fair values of
tangible and indefinite-lived intangible assets held by the reporting units and our parent’s recent market capitalization.
Our assessment indicated the goodwill attributed to certain acquisitions was no longer supported based on the
sustained decrease in our parent’s market capitalization. As such, we recorded a total noncash impairment charge of
approximately $225 million in “Impairment of long-lived assets and goodwill” on our Consolidated Statements of
Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss).
No impairments were indicated for any reporting unit for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021.
F-20
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DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
The following table presents the changes in the carrying amounts of goodwill by operating segment:
Goodwill
Balance as of December 31, 2021, net of accumulated impairment losses
Balance as of December 31, 2022, net of accumulated impairment losses
Impairment of goodwill
Balance as of December 31, 2023, net of accumulated impairment losses
Accumulated impairment losses as of December 31, 2023
Capitalized Interest
Pay-TV
Wireless
Retail
5G Network
Deployment
Total
(In thousands)
$
$
$
$
6,457
6,457
(6,457)
$ 98,657
$ 98,657
(98,657)
$
$
— $
— $
119,903
119,903
(119,903)
$
$
— $
225,017
225,017
(225,017)
—
(6,457)
$ (98,657)
$
(119,903)
$
(225,017)
We capitalize interest associated with the acquisition or construction of certain assets, including, among other things,
our Wireless spectrum licenses, build-out costs associated with our 5G Network Deployment and satellites.
Capitalization of interest begins when, among other things, steps are taken to prepare the asset for its intended use and
ceases when the asset is ready for its intended use or when these activities are substantially suspended.
We are currently commercializing our 5G Network Deployment. As a result, the interest expense related to the
carrying amount of the 5G Network Deployment qualifying assets is being capitalized. Historically, the qualifying
assets exceeded the carrying value of our long-term debt and finance lease obligations, therefore substantially all of
our interest expense was being capitalized. However, as the qualifying assets, including certain bands of wireless
spectrum licenses, are placed into service, we will no longer capitalize interest on those assets and we will begin to
expense interest on our Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss).
Business Combinations
When we acquire a business that is not subject to rules pertaining to common control, we allocate the purchase price to
the various components of the acquisition based upon the fair value of each component using various valuation
techniques, including the market approach, income approach and/or cost approach. The accounting standard for
business combinations requires identifiable assets, liabilities, noncontrolling interests and goodwill acquired to be
recorded at acquisition date fair values. Transaction costs related to the acquisition of the business are expensed as
incurred. Costs associated with the issuance of debt associated with a business combination are capitalized and
included as a yield adjustment to the underlying debt’s stated rate.
Acquired intangible assets other than goodwill are amortized over their estimated useful lives unless the lives are
determined to be indefinite. Amortization of these intangible assets in general are recognized on a straight-line basis
over an average finite useful life primarily ranging from approximately one to 20 years or in relation to the estimated
discounted cash flows over the life of the intangible asset.
Long-Term Deferred Revenue and Other Long-Term Liabilities
Certain programmers provide us up-front payments. Such amounts are deferred and recognized as reductions to “Cost
of services” on a straight-line basis over the relevant remaining contract term (generally up to ten years). The current
and long-term portions of these deferred credits are recorded on our Consolidated Balance Sheets in “Deferred revenue
and other” and “Long-term deferred revenue and other long-term liabilities,” respectively.
Sales Taxes
We account for sales taxes imposed on our goods and services on a net basis on our Consolidated Statements of
Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss). Since we primarily act as an agent for the governmental authorities,
the amount charged to the customer is collected and remitted directly to the appropriate jurisdictional entity.
F-21
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Income Taxes
DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
We establish a provision for income taxes currently payable or receivable and for income tax amounts deferred to
future periods. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recorded for the estimated future tax effects of differences that
exist between the book and tax basis of assets and liabilities. Deferred tax assets are offset by valuation allowances
when we believe it is more likely than not that such net deferred tax assets will not be realized.
From time to time, we engage in transactions where the tax consequences may be subject to uncertainty. We record a
liability when, in management’s judgment, a tax filing position does not meet the more likely than not threshold. For
tax positions that meet the more likely than not threshold, we may record a liability depending on management’s
assessment of how the tax position will ultimately be settled. We adjust our estimates periodically for ongoing
examinations by and settlements with various taxing authorities, as well as changes in tax laws, regulations and
precedent. We classify interest and penalties, if any, associated with our uncertain tax positions as a component of
“Interest expense, net of amounts capitalized” and “Other, net,” respectively, on our Consolidated Statements of
Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss).
Fair Value Measurements
We determine fair value based on the exchange price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability
(an exit price) in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between
market participants. Market or observable inputs are the preferred source of values, followed by unobservable inputs
or assumptions based on hypothetical transactions in the absence of market inputs. We apply the following hierarchy
in determining fair value:
● Level 1, defined as observable inputs being quoted prices in active markets for identical assets;
● Level 2, defined as observable inputs other than quoted prices included in Level 1, including quoted prices
for similar assets and liabilities in active markets; and quoted prices for identical or similar instruments in
markets that are not active and model-derived valuations in which significant inputs and significant value
drivers are observable in active markets; and
● Level 3, defined as unobservable inputs for which little or no market data exists, consistent with reasonably
available assumptions made by other participants therefore requiring assumptions based on the best
information available.
As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, the carrying amount for cash and cash equivalents, trade accounts receivable (net
of allowance for credit losses) and current liabilities (excluding the “Current portion of long-term debt and finance
lease obligations”) was equal to or approximated fair value due to their short-term nature or proximity to current
market rates.
Fair values of our marketable investment securities are measured on a recurring basis based on a variety of observable
market inputs. For our investments in publicly traded equity securities and U.S. government securities, fair value
ordinarily is determined based on Level 1 measurements that reflect quoted prices for identical securities in active
markets. Fair values of our investments in other marketable debt securities are generally based on Level 2
measurements as the markets for such debt securities are less active. We consider trades of identical debt securities on
or near the measurement date as a strong indication of fair value and matrix pricing techniques that consider par value,
coupon rate, credit quality, maturity and other relevant features may also be used to determine fair value of our
investments in marketable debt securities. Additionally, we use fair value measurements from time to time in
connection with other investments, asset impairment testing and the assignment of purchase consideration to assets and
liabilities of acquired companies. Those fair value measurements typically include significant unobservable inputs and
are categorized within Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy. Transfers between levels in the fair value hierarchy are
considered to occur at the beginning of the quarterly accounting period. There were no transfers between levels during
the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022. See Note 5 for the fair value of our marketable investment securities
and derivative instruments.
F-22
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DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
Fair values for our publicly traded debt securities are based on quoted market prices, when available. The fair values
of private debt are based on, among other things, available trade information, and/or an analysis in which we evaluate
market conditions, related securities, various public and private offerings, and other publicly available information. In
performing this analysis, we make various assumptions regarding, among other things, credit spreads, and the impact
of these factors on the value of the debt securities. See Note 9 for the fair value of our long-term debt.
Convertible Long-Term Debt
Historically, for embedded conversion features, we valued and bifurcated the conversion option associated with
convertible notes (the “equity component”) from the host debt instrument. The initial value of the equity component
on the convertible notes was recorded in “Additional paid-in capital” within “Stockholder’s Equity (Deficit)” on our
Consolidated Balance Sheets with the offset recorded as the debt discount. In accordance with ASU 2020-06 Debt –
Debt with Conversion and Other Options and Derivatives and Hedging – Contracts in Entity’s Own Equity (“ASU
2020-06”), which we adopted during the first quarter of 2021, the equity component related to our convertible notes of
$1.051 billion has been reclassified from “Additional paid-in capital” within “Stockholder’s Equity (Deficit)” to
“Long-term debt and finance lease obligations, net of current portion” and the associated deferred taxes of $246
million has been reclassified from “Additional paid-in capital” within “Stockholder’s Equity (Deficit)” to “Deferred
tax liabilities, net” on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. As a result of the merger with EchoStar, we have reassessed
the classification of the embedded conversion features on all of our convertible debt. Historically, we concluded that
these financial instruments were not derivatives. However, as a result in the change of equity issuer (from us to our
parent EchoStar) we concluded that the financial instruments are no longer indexed to their own equity and now
require derivative accounting.
Deferred Debt Issuance Costs and Debt Discounts
Costs of issuing debt, including premiums and discounts relative to par value, are generally deferred and amortized to
“Interest expense, net of amounts capitalized” on our Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive
Income (Loss) using the effective interest rate method over the terms of the respective notes. We report unamortized
debt issuance costs as a reduction of the related long-term debt on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. See Note 9 for
further information.
Revenue Recognition
Pay-TV Segment
Our Pay-TV segment revenue is primarily derived from Pay-TV subscriber revenue. We also generate revenue from
equipment rental fees and other hardware related fees, including DVRs and fees from subscribers with multiple
receivers; advertising services; fees earned from our in-home service operations; broadband services; warranty
services; sales of digital receivers and related equipment to third-party pay-TV providers; satellite uplink and
telemetry, tracking and control (“TT&C”) services; and revenue from in-home services. See Note 14 for further
information, including revenue disaggregated by major source.
Our residential video subscribers contract for individual services or combinations of services, as discussed above, the
majority of which are generally distinct and are accounted for as separate performance obligations. We consider our
installations for first time DISH TV subscribers to be a service. However, since we provide a significant integration
service combining the installation with programming services, we have concluded that the installation is not distinct
from programming and thus the installation and programming services are accounted for as a single performance
obligation. We generally satisfy these performance obligations and recognize revenue as the services are provided, for
example as the programming is broadcast to subscribers, as this best represents the transfer of control of the services to
the subscriber.
F-23
Table of Contents
DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
In cases where a subscriber is charged certain nonrefundable upfront fees, those fees are generally considered to be
material rights to the subscriber related to the subscriber’s option to renew without having to pay an additional fee
upon renewal. These fees are deferred and recognized over the estimated period of time during which the fee remains
material to the customer, which we estimate to be less than one year. Revenues arising from our in-home services that
are separate from the initial installation, such as mounting a TV on a subscriber’s wall, are generally recognized when
these services are performed.
For our residential video subscribers, we have concluded that the contract term under Accounting Standard
Codification Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (“ASC 606”) is one month and as a result the revenue
recognized for these subscribers for a given month is equal to the amount billed in that month, except for certain
nonrefundable upfront fees that are accounted for as material rights, as discussed above.
Revenues from our advertising services are typically recognized as the advertisements are broadcast. Sales of
equipment to subscribers or other third parties are recognized when control is transferred under the contract. Revenue
from our commercial video subscribers typically follows the residential model described above, with the exception that
the contract term for most of our commercial subscribers exceeds one month and can be multiple years in length.
However, commercial subscribers typically do not receive time-limited discounts or free service periods and
accordingly, while they may have multiple performance obligations, revenue is equal to the amount billed in a given
month.
Retail Wireless Segment
Our Retail Wireless segment revenue is primarily derived from Wireless subscriber revenue and selling wireless
devices to prepaid and postpaid subscribers. The majority of our subscribers are prepaid under the Boost Mobile and
Gen Mobile brands with a smaller subset of postpaid subscribers serviced under the Boost postpaid brand. Prepaid
subscribers prepay for their monthly service on a month-to-month contract. Our contracts with prepaid customers are
determined to be one month. Postpaid subscribers are qualified to pay for their service after it has been provided and
pay for their monthly service on a month-to-month contract. Our contracts with postpaid customers typically have an
enforceable duration of one month. However, promotional bill credits offered to a customer on an equipment sale that
are paid over time and are contingent on the customer maintaining a service contract may result in an extended service
contract based on whether a substantive penalty is deemed to exist.
We have both an indirect sales channel, which includes third-party owned retail stores and big box stores, as well as
online through Amazon, and a direct sales channel, which services customers online through each respective brand’s
website. To deliver products to third-party retail stores through the indirect sales channel, we use direct distribution
partners to facilitate product delivery. Our contracts with customers may involve more than one performance
obligation, which include wireless services, wireless devices or a combination thereof, and we allocate the transaction
price between each performance obligation based on its relative standalone selling price. Although our Retail Wireless
segment offers both products and services, we have determined that not all contracts with customers are bundled
arrangements as the wireless device and service are sometimes sold at different times, and in the case of certain sales
arrangements through the indirect sales channel, have different customers. When control of the product is transferred
to an intermediary other than the end customer in the indirect channel, the customer for the wireless device is the
intermediary, such as the direct distribution partner, whereas for the service the subscriber is the end consumer. When
control of the product is not transferred to the intermediary, in the indirect channel the product is accounted for as
consigned inventory and the customer for both the wireless device and service is the end customer. Service revenues
may also include other value added services to subscribers, which may be recorded either gross or net within our
Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss) depending on whether we are deemed to be
the principal or agent in the relationship with the subscriber. Service revenues are recognized when the service has
been provided and no further obligation exists. Concessions given to subscribers are recorded as a reduction to
revenue.
F-24
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DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
Equipment revenues are primarily related to the sale of wireless devices. Equipment revenue is recognized when
control of the product is transferred to our customer, either the direct distribution partner or the end customer, as
described above. We offer postpaid customers the option to pay for devices in installments, generally over 36 months.
We recognize the effects of a financing component as a reduction of the transaction price in contracts where customers
purchase their devices with an installment term of more than one year, including those financing components that are
not considered to be significant to the contract. We have elected the practical expedient of not recognizing the effects
of a significant financing component for contracts where we expect, at contract inception, that the period between the
transfer of a performance obligation to a customer and the customer’s payment for that performance obligation will be
one year or less. We may offer certain promotions that provide our customers on device installment plans with the right
to upgrade to a new device after paying a specified portion of their device payment plan agreement amount and trading
in their device in good working order. We account for this trade-in right as a guarantee obligation. The full amount of
the trade-in right’s fair value is recognized as a guarantee liability and results in a reduction to the revenue recognized
upon the sale of the device. The total transaction price is reduced by the guarantee, which is accounted for outside the
scope of ASC 606, and the remaining transaction price is allocated between the performance obligations within the
contract. Sales of equipment in the indirect sales channel often include credits subsequently paid to the direct
distribution partner as a reimbursement for any discount promotions offered to the end consumer. These credits
(payments to a customer) are accounted for as variable consideration when estimating the amount of revenue to
recognize from the sales of equipment to indirect dealers and are estimated based on historical experience and other
factors, such as expected promotional activity. For wireless devices sold with a right of return, we defer a portion of
equipment revenue and cost of sales to reflect this variable consideration.
Governmental Funding. We participate in various United States federal and state programs, including the Affordable
Connectivity Program (“ACP”) under which eligible low-income households may receive a discount off the cost of
broadband service and certain connected devices, and participating providers can receive a reimbursement for such
discounts. This revenue is included in “Service and other revenue” on our Consolidated Statements of Operations and
Comprehensive Income (Loss). Corresponding receivables are recorded when services have been provided to the
customers and costs incurred, but cash has not been received. These amounts are included in “Trade accounts
receivable, net” on our Consolidated Balance Sheets.
Contract Balances
The timing of revenue recognition generally differs from the timing of invoicing to customers. A contract asset is
recorded when revenue is recognized in advance of our right to receive consideration (i.e., we must perform additional
services in order to receive consideration). Amounts are recorded as trade accounts receivable when our right to
consideration is unconditional. When consideration is received, or we have an unconditional right to consideration in
advance of delivery of goods or services, a contract liability is recorded. The transaction price can include
nonrefundable upfront fees, which are allocated to the identifiable performance obligations. Our residential video
subscribers are typically billed monthly, and the contract balances for those customers arise from the timing of the
monthly billing cycle. Our current Wireless subscribers, the majority of which are prepaid, generate deferred revenue.
We do not adjust the amount of consideration for financing impacts when we anticipate that the period between
transfer of goods and services and eventual payment for those goods and services will be less than one year. Contract
assets are included in “Trade accounts receivable, net” and contract liabilities are included in “Deferred revenue and
other” and “Long-term deferred revenue and other long-term liabilities” on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. Contract
balances are amortized over the contract term. See Note 15 for further information, including balance and activity
detail about our allowance for credit losses and deferred revenue related to contracts with subscribers.
F-25
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DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
Assets Recognized Related to the Costs to Obtain a Contract with a Customer
We recognize an asset for the incremental costs of obtaining a contract with a customer if we expect the benefit of
those costs to be longer than one year. We have determined that certain sales incentive programs in our Pay-TV and
Retail Wireless segments, including those with our independent third-party retailers, meet the requirements to be
capitalized, and payments made under these programs are capitalized and amortized to expense over the estimated
customer life or the contract term. These amounts are capitalized in “Prepaids and other assets” and “Other noncurrent
assets, net” on our Consolidated Balance Sheets, and then amortized in “Selling, general and administrative expenses”
on our Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss).
Leases
Lessee Accounting
We enter into non-cancelable operating and finance leases for, among other things, communication towers, satellites,
satellite-related ground infrastructure, data centers, office space, dark fiber and transport equipment, warehouses and
distribution centers, vehicles and other equipment. Substantially all of our leases have remaining lease terms from one
to 13 years, some of which include renewal options, and some of which include options to terminate the leases within
one year. For certain arrangements (generally communication towers), the lease term includes the non-cancelable
period plus the renewal period that we are reasonably certain to exercise.
We determine if an arrangement is a lease and classify that lease as either an operating or finance lease at inception.
Operating leases are included in “Operating lease assets,” “Other accrued expenses and liabilities” and “Operating
lease liabilities” on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. Finance leases are included in “Property and equipment, net,”
“Current portion of long-term debt and finance lease obligations” and “Long-term debt and finance lease obligations,
net of current portion” on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. Leases with an initial term of 12 months or less are not
recorded on the balance sheet and we recognize lease expense for these leases on a straight-line basis over the lease
term on our Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss). See Note 8 for further
information on our lease expenses.
Right of use (“ROU”) assets represent our right to use an underlying asset for the lease term and lease liabilities
represent the present value of our obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease. Operating lease ROU
assets and liabilities are recognized at commencement date based on the present value of lease payments over the lease
term. The operating lease ROU asset also includes the impact of prepaid or deferred lease payments. When our leases
do not provide an implicit rate, we use our IBR based on the information available at commencement date in
determining the present value of lease payments. Our IBR is based on an estimated secured rate for the same term as
the underlying lease plus a credit spread as secured by our assets. For leases denominated in a currency different than
U.S. dollar, IBR is estimated using the collateralized borrowing rate in the foreign currency using the U.S. dollar and
foreign currency swap spread, when available. The length of our lease term may include options to extend or
terminate the lease when it is reasonably certain that we will exercise that option. Lease expense for operating lease
payments is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term.
We have lease agreements with lease and non-lease components, which are generally accounted for separately. Our
variable lease payments are immaterial and our lease agreements do not contain any material residual value guarantees
or material restrictive covenants.
Lessor Accounting
DISH TV subscribers have the choice of leasing or purchasing the satellite receiver and other equipment necessary to
receive our DISH TV services. Most of our new DISH TV subscribers choose to lease equipment and thus we retain
title to such equipment. Equipment leased to new and existing DISH TV subscribers is capitalized and depreciated
over their estimated useful lives.
F-26
Table of Contents
DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
For equipment leased to new and existing DISH TV subscribers, we made an accounting policy election to combine
the equipment with our programming services as a single performance obligation in accordance with the revenue
recognition guidance as the programming services are the predominant component. The non-lease service revenue
related to equipment leased to new and existing DISH TV subscribers would have otherwise been accounted for as an
operating lease.
Cost of Services
Pay-TV Segment
“Cost of services” on our Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss) principally
includes programming expenses and other operating costs related to our Pay-TV segment. The cost of television
programming distribution rights is generally incurred on a per subscriber basis and various upfront carriage payments
are recognized when the related programming is distributed to subscribers. Long-term flat rate programming contracts
are generally charged to expense using the straight-line method over the term of the agreement. The cost of television
programming rights to distribute live sporting events for a season or tournament is charged to expense using the
straight-line method over the course of the season or tournament.
Retail Wireless Segment
“Cost of services” on our Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss) principally
includes costs incurred under the MNSA and NSA. Costs incurred under the MNSA and NSA are recognized as the
services are performed or as incurred.
Cost of Sales – Equipment and Other
Pay-TV Segment
“Cost of sales – equipment and other” on our Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income
(Loss) principally includes 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.
Retail Wireless Segment
“Cost of sales – equipment and other” on our Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income
(Loss) principally includes the cost of wireless devices and other related items, certain direct costs of wireless mobile
network operations to deliver wireless voice and data services. Costs are generally recognized as products are
delivered to customers and the related revenue is recognized.
5G Network Deployment Segment
“Cost of sales – equipment and other” on our Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income
(Loss) principally includes the lease expense on communication towers and transport as well as cloud services. Lease
costs are generally recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term. Costs related to cloud services are either
recognized ratably over the contract term or based on usage.
Advertising Costs
We recognize advertising expense when incurred as a component of “Selling, general and administrative expenses” on
our Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss). Advertising expenses totaled $698
million, $633 million and $535 million for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
F-27
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DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
Research and Development
Research and development costs, not incurred in connection with customer requirements, are expensed as incurred and
are included as a component of “Selling, general and administrative expenses” on our Consolidated Statements of
Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss). Research and development costs totaled $42 million, $45 million and
$29 million for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
New Accounting Pronouncements
Joint Ventures. On August 23, 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-05, Business Combinations — Joint Venture
Formations (Subtopic 805-60) (“ASU 2023-05”), which requires an entity that qualifies as either a joint venture or a
corporate joint venture as defined in the FASB Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) master glossary to apply a
new basis of accounting upon the formation of the joint venture. This standard will be effective for all joint venture
formations with a formation date on or after January 1, 2025. A joint venture that was formed before January 1, 2025
may elect to apply the amendments retrospectively if it has sufficient information. Early adoption is permitted in any
interim or annual period in which financial statements have not yet been issued or made available for issuance. We are
evaluating the impact the adoption of ASU 2023-05 will have on our Consolidated Financial Statements and related
disclosures.
Segment Reporting. On November 27, 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-07 Segment Reporting (Topic 280):
Improvements to Reporting Segment Disclosures (“ASU 2023-07”), which will enhance financial reporting by
providing additional information about a public company’s significant segment expenses and more timely and detailed
segment information reporting throughout the fiscal period. This standard will be effective for fiscal years beginning
after December 15, 2023, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024. Early adoption is
permitted. We are evaluating the impact the adoption of ASU 2023-07 will have on our Consolidated Financial
Statements and related disclosures.
Income Taxes. On December 14, 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-9, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to
Income Tax Disclosures (“ASU 2023-09”), which will enhance income tax disclosures. ASU 2023-09 requires among
other items disaggregated information in a reporting entity’s rate reconciliation table, clarification on uncertain tax
positions and the related financial statement impact as well as information on income taxes paid on a disaggregated
basis. This standard will be effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024. Early adoption is permitted.
We are evaluating the impact the adoption of ASU 2023-09 will have on our Consolidated Financial Statements and
related disclosures.
3. Supplemental Data - Statements of Cash Flows
The following table presents certain supplemental cash flow and other non-cash data. See Note 8 for supplemental
cash flow and non-cash data related to leases.
2023
For the Years Ended December 31,
2022
(In thousands)
$
2021
1,301,783
18,542
(8,138)
1,291,290
14,680
—
—
87,343
—
219,200
74,189
—
1,044,276 $
8,145
57,278
1,040,971
26,348
—
—
108,048
122,657
397,137
122,390
47,916
781,874
5,455
72,476
821,455
30,321
1,051,344
245,778
26,627
915,449
449,093
50,765
—
Cash paid for interest (including capitalized interest)
Cash received for interest
Cash paid for income taxes, net of (refunds)
Capitalized interest (1)
Employee benefits paid in Class A common stock
Convertible debt reclassified per ASU 2020-06
Deferred taxes reclassified per ASU 2020-06
Vendor financing
FCC licenses reclassification
Accrued capital expenditures
Asset retirement obligation
Revaluation of contingent liabilities
(1) See Note 2 for further information.
$
F-28
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DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
4. Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
The following table presents the tax effect on each component of “Other comprehensive income (loss).”
For the Years Ended December 31,
Before
2023
Tax
Net
Before
2022
Tax
Net
Before
2021
Tax
Net
Tax
(Expense)
of Tax
Tax
(Expense)
of Tax
Tax
(Expense)
of Tax
Amount
Benefit
Amount
Amount
Benefit Amount Amount
Benefit
Amount
(In thousands)
$
356 $
(31) $
325
$ (4,160) $
710 $ (3,450) $
1,787 $
(482) $
1,305
(267)
65
(202)
191
(46)
145
(208)
49
(159)
304
393 $
(74)
(40) $
230
353
$
(7)
2
(5)
(13)
3
(10)
$ (3,976) $
666 $ (3,310) $
1,566 $
(430) $
1,136
Foreign currency translation adjustments
Unrealized holding gains (losses) on
available-for-sale securities
Recognition of previously unrealized (gains)
losses on available-for-sale securities included
in net income (loss)
Other comprehensive income (loss)
The “Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)” is detailed in the following table, net of tax:
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
Foreign
Currency
Translation
Adjustment
Unrealized/
Recognized
Gains
(Losses)
(In thousands)
Total
Balance as of December 31, 2021
Foreign currency translation adjustments
Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassification
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)
Balance as of December 31, 2022
Foreign currency translation adjustments
Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassification
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)
Balance as of December 31, 2023
$
$
$
446 $
(3,450)
—
—
(3,004) $
325
—
—
(2,679) $
(165) $
—
145
(5)
(25) $
—
(202)
230
3 $
281
(3,450)
145
(5)
(3,029)
325
(202)
230
(2,676)
F-29
Table of Contents
DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
5. Marketable Investment Securities, Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents, and Other Investment Securities
Our marketable investment securities, restricted cash and cash equivalents, and other investment securities consisted of
the following:
Marketable investment securities:
Current marketable investment securities:
Strategic - available-for-sale
Strategic - trading/equity
Other
Total current marketable investment securities
Restricted marketable investment securities (1)
Total marketable investment securities
Restricted cash and cash equivalents (1)
Other investment securities, net:
Equity method investments
Cost method investments
Fair value method investments
Total other investment securities, net
As of
December 31,
2023
December 31,
2022
(In thousands)
$
$
144
7,799
179
8,122
19,772
27,894
89,107
126,179
3,448
39,198
168,825
144
655
835,184
835,983
41,689
877,672
62,925
129,655
750
37,795
168,200
Total marketable investment securities, restricted cash and cash equivalents, and
other investment securities
$
285,826
$
1,108,797
(1) Restricted marketable investment securities and restricted cash and cash equivalents are included in “Restricted
cash, cash equivalents and marketable investment securities” on our Consolidated Balance Sheets.
Marketable Investment Securities
Our marketable investment securities portfolio may consist of debt and equity instruments. All equity securities are
carried at fair value, with changes in fair value recognized in “Other, net” within “Other Income (Expense)” on our
Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss). All debt securities are classified as
available-for-sale and are recorded at fair value. We report the temporary unrealized gains and losses related to
changes in market conditions of marketable debt securities as a separate component of “Accumulated other
comprehensive income (loss)” within “Stockholder’s Equity (Deficit),” net of related deferred income tax on our
Consolidated Balance Sheets. The corresponding changes in the fair value of marketable debt securities, which are
determined to be company specific credit losses are recorded in “Other, net” within “Other Income (Expense)” on our
Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss). See Note 2 for further information.
Current Marketable Investment Securities - Strategic
Our current strategic marketable investment securities portfolio includes and may include strategic and financial debt
and/or equity investments in private and public companies that are highly speculative and have experienced and
continue to experience volatility. As of December 31, 2023, this portfolio consisted of securities of a small number of
issuers, and as a result the value of that portfolio depends, among other things, on the performance of those issuers.
The fair value of certain of the debt and equity securities in this portfolio can be adversely impacted by, among other
things, the issuers’ respective performance and ability to obtain any necessary additional financing on acceptable
terms, or at all.
F-30
Table of Contents
DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
Current Marketable Investment Securities - Other
Our current other marketable investment securities portfolio includes investments in various debt instruments
including, among others, commercial paper, corporate securities and United States treasury and/or agency securities.
Commercial paper consists mainly of unsecured short-term, promissory notes issued primarily by corporations with
maturities ranging up to 365 days. Corporate securities consist of debt instruments issued by corporations with various
maturities normally less than 18 months. U.S. Treasury and agency securities consist of debt instruments issued by the
federal government and other government agencies.
Restricted Cash, Cash Equivalents and Marketable Investment Securities
As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, our restricted marketable investment securities, together with our restricted cash
and cash equivalents, included amounts required as collateral for our letters of credit and trusts.
Other Investments, net
We have strategic investments in certain debt and/or equity securities that are included in noncurrent “Other
investments, net” on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. Our debt securities are classified as available-for-sale and are
recorded at fair value. Generally, our debt investments in non-publicly traded debt instruments without a readily
determinable fair value are recorded at amortized cost. Our equity investments where we have the ability to exercise
significant influence over the investee are accounted for using the equity method of accounting. Certain of our equity
method investments are detailed below.
NagraStar L.L.C. We own a 50% interest in NagraStar L.L.C. (“NagraStar”), a joint venture that is our primary
provider of encryption and related security systems intended to assure that only authorized customers have access to
our programming. The three main technologies NagraStar provides to its customers are microchips, set-top box
software, and uplink computer systems. NagraStar also provides end-to-end platform security testing services.
Invidi Technologies Corporation. We own a 35% interest in Invidi Technologies Corporation (“Invidi”), an entity that
provides proprietary software for the addressable advertising market. Invidi contracts with multichannel video
programming distributers to include its software in their respective set-top boxes and DVRs in order to deliver targeted
advertisements based on a variety of demographic attributes selected by the advertisers. Invidi has also developed a
cloud-based solution for internet protocol-based platforms.
TerreStar Solutions, Inc. We own a 40% interest in TerreStar Solutions, Inc. (“TSI”), an entity that provides wireless
mobile communication coverage in Canada using a satellite user terminal. TSI’s wireless communications system is
based on a satellite and ground-based technology, which provides communication services in hard-to-reach areas and
provides a nationwide interoperable, survivable and critical communications infrastructure. TSI also holds and leases
certain 2 GHz wireless spectrum licenses in Canada.
We also hold investments that are not accounted for using the equity method of accounting, which are measured at fair
value. Investments in equity securities without readily determinable fair values are accounted for at cost, less
impairment, and adjusted for observable price changes for identical or similar investments of the same issuer.
Our ability to realize value from our strategic investments in securities that are not publicly traded depends on, among
other things, the success of the issuers’ businesses and their ability to obtain sufficient capital, on acceptable terms or
at all, and to execute their business plans. Because private markets are not as liquid as public markets, there is also
increased risk that we will not be able to sell these investments, or that when we desire to sell them we will not be able
to obtain fair value for them.
F-31
Table of Contents
DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
Fair Value Measurements
Our investments measured at fair value on a recurring basis were as follows:
December 31, 2023
Total
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total
(In thousands)
December 31, 2022
Level 1 Level 2
Level 3
As of
$ 347,976
$ 304,410
$ 43,566
$ — $ 1,620,458
$ 174,050
$ 1,446,408
$ —
$
7,567
7,500
4,705
323
7,799
$ 27,894
$
7,567
—
—
—
7,799
$ 15,366
$
— $ — $
7,500
4,705
179
—
$ 12,384
—
—
144
—
$ 144
$
22,824
696,324
156,380
1,489
655
877,672
$ 22,824
—
—
—
655
$ 23,479
$
$
— $ —
—
—
144
—
$ 144
696,324
156,380
1,345
—
854,049
Cash equivalents
(including restricted)
Debt securities
(including restricted):
U.S. Treasury and agency
securities
Commercial paper
Corporate securities
Other
Equity securities
Total
As of December 31, 2023, restricted and non-restricted marketable investment securities included debt securities of
$20 million with contractual maturities within one year. Actual maturities may differ from contractual maturities as a
result of our ability to sell these securities prior to maturity.
Derivative Instruments
We have the option to purchase certain of T-Mobile’s 800 MHz spectrum licenses from T-Mobile at a fixed price. This
instrument meets the definition of a derivative and is valued based upon, among other things, our estimate of the
underlying asset price, the expected term, volatility, the risk free rate of return and the probability of us exercising the
option. The instrument acquisition date fair value was $713 million. The derivative is remeasured quarterly. As of
December 31, 2023 and 2022, the derivative’s fair value was zero and $1.693 billion, respectively, and is included in
“Other noncurrent assets, net” on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. The change in the derivative’s carrying value was
primarily driven by a decrease in our estimated probability of exercising the option to zero. All changes in the
derivative’s fair value are recorded in “Other, net” on our Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive
Income (Loss). See the table below.
On June 30, 2023, the United States Department of Justice, Antitrust Division (the “DOJ”) provided notice to the
United States District Court for the District of Columbia (the “District Court”) that, pursuant to its discretion under the
Final Judgment, it granted a 60-day extension of the deadline for T-Mobile to divest the 800 MHz spectrum licenses,
which expired on August 30, 2023.
On August 17, 2023, we filed a petition with the District Court seeking an extension of the deadline for T-Mobile to
divest the 800 MHz spectrum licenses.
On October 15, 2023, we and T-Mobile entered into an amendment to the License Purchase Agreement (the
“Amendment”) that, among other things, extends the date by which we may purchase the 800 MHz spectrum licenses
to April 1, 2024 (the “Extension”). In connection with the Extension, we agreed to make an upfront payment of $100
million (the “Upfront Payment”) to T-Mobile. The Amendment also resolves all outstanding disputes between the
parties with respect to the License Purchase Agreement. On October 25, 2023, we paid the $100 million Upfront
Payment to T-Mobile.
The Amendment has been approved by the DOJ in accordance with the Stipulation and Order filed in the District
Court on July 26, 2019 and the Final Judgment entered by the District Court on April 1, 2020. The Amendment
became effective upon the District Court entering the Amended Final Judgment on October 23, 2023.
F-32
Table of Contents
DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
The Upfront Payment is fully creditable against the purchase price in the event we exercise our option to purchase the
800 MHz spectrum licenses from T-Mobile. T-Mobile has the right (but not the obligation) to pursue an alternative
offer between now and April 1, 2024 provided that we retain the first right to purchase the spectrum before April 1,
2024. If we elect to not exercise the option to purchase the 800 MHz spectrum licenses pursuant to the License
Purchase Agreement or it expires, T-Mobile will retain the $100 million Upfront Payment per the Amendment.
Throughout 2023, we were actively involved in negotiations with counterparties to obtain the financing necessary to
exercise the 800 MHz purchase option. However, we have been unsuccessful in our attempts to reach terms for a
definitive financing agreement. Due to the relatively short time remaining before the 800 MHz purchase option’s
expiration on April 1, 2024, we no longer believe it is probable that we will exercise the option. Therefore, we reduced
the probability weighted value of the spectrum option to zero. As a result of the probability weighted derivative’s fair
value being zero, during the fourth quarter and the year ended December 31, 2023, a loss of $1.601 billion and $1.793
billion, respectively, (both including the $100 million prepayment previously made to T-Mobile) was recorded in
“Other, net” on our Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss). We still maintain the
right to exercise the purchase option until it expires on April 1, 2024. If we elect to exercise the option and purchase
these licenses, we will record the licenses at fair value at that date in “Regulatory authorizations, net” on our
Consolidated Balance Sheets and record a corresponding gain, net of our exercise price, on our Consolidated
Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss).
We account for our option to purchase certain T-Mobile’s 800 MHz spectrum licenses under the License Purchase
Agreement as a Level 3 instrument within the fair value hierarchy.
Gains and Losses on Sales and Changes in Carrying Amounts of Investments and Other
“Other, net” within “Other Income (Expense)” included on our Consolidated Statements of Operations and
Comprehensive Income (Loss) is as follows:
Other, net:
Marketable and non-marketable investment securities - realized and
unrealized gains (losses)
Derivative instruments - net realized and/or unrealized gains (losses) (1)
Gains (losses) related to early redemption of debt (2)
Equity in earnings (losses) of affiliates
Other
Total
For the Years Ended December 31,
2023
2022
2021
(In thousands)
$
$
4,085
(1,793,387)
73,024
(3,835)
(21,763)
(1,741,876)
$
$
26,186
1,015,387
(922)
2,616
(4,285)
1,038,982
$
$
(3,137)
(13,000)
(3,587)
(1,051)
41,332
20,557
(1) The change in the derivative’s carrying value for the year ended December 31, 2023 was primarily driven by a
decrease in our estimated probability of exercising the option. This amount includes the $100 million prepayment
previously made to T-Mobile.
(2) This change primarily resulted from repurchases of our Convertible Notes and 5 7/8% Senior Notes due 2024
during the year ended December 31, 2023. See Note 9 for further information.
F-33
Table of Contents
DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
6. Inventory
Inventory consisted of the following:
Finished goods
Work-in-process and service repairs
Consignment (1)
Raw materials
Total inventory
As of
December 31,
2023
December 31,
2022
(In thousands)
407,620
35,464
47,723
6,251
497,058
$
$
447,322
19,351
14,792
20,908
502,373
$
$
(1) This change primarily resulted from a distribution agreement related to certain Boost postpaid wireless devices.
7. Property and Equipment and Intangible Assets
Property and Equipment
Property and equipment consisted of the following:
Equipment leased to customers
Satellites
Satellites acquired under finance lease agreements
Furniture, fixtures, equipment and other
5G Network Deployment equipment (1)
Software and computer equipment
Buildings and improvements
Land
Construction in progress
Total property and equipment
Accumulated depreciation
Property and equipment, net
Depreciable
Life
(In Years)
2
6
2
3
2
5
5
15
20
15
6
40
-
-
15
-
-
-
-
-
-
As of
December 31,
2023
December 31,
2022
(In thousands)
$
$
1,181,193
1,718,865
344,447
908,924
4,263,327
2,111,305
381,757
17,513
1,802,000
12,729,331
(5,327,384)
7,401,947
$
$
1,318,272
1,718,865
344,447
903,190
770,153
1,666,962
380,519
17,513
3,170,623
10,290,544
(4,650,425)
5,640,119
(1) Includes 5G Network Deployment assets acquired under finance lease agreements.
Construction in progress consisted of the following:
Pay-TV
Retail Wireless
5G Network Deployment
Total construction in progress
As of
December 31,
2023
December 31,
2022
(In thousands)
162,055
—
1,639,945
1,802,000
$
$
36,936
—
3,133,687
3,170,623
$
$
F-34
Table of Contents
DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
Depreciation and amortization expense consisted of the following:
2023
For the Years Ended December 31,
2022
(In thousands)
$
$
Equipment leased to customers
Satellites
Buildings, furniture, fixtures, equipment and other
5G Network Deployment equipment
Software and computer equipment
Intangible assets and other amortization expense
Total depreciation and amortization
$
$
166,950
134,948
91,942
371,640
235,820
180,621
1,181,921
191,746
148,051
40,703
29,992
153,040
153,541
717,073
$
$
2021
244,755
189,126
25,279
8,263
93,119
164,310
724,852
Cost of sales and operating expense categories included in our accompanying Consolidated Statements of Operations
and Comprehensive Income (Loss) do not include depreciation and amortization expense related to satellites,
equipment leased to customers, or our 5G Network Deployment equipment and software.
Activity relating to our asset retirement obligations was as follows:
Balance at beginning of period
Liabilities incurred
Accretion expense
Revision to estimated cash flows
Balance at end of period
Total included in Other long-term liabilities
As of December 31,
2023
2022
(In thousands)
$
$
$
183,135
74,189
20,963
—
278,287
278,287
$
$
$
51,551
124,822
6,762
—
183,135
183,135
The corresponding assets, net of accumulated depreciation, related to asset retirement obligations were $217 million
and $162 million as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
Satellites Pay-TV Segment
Our Pay-TV segment currently utilizes nine satellites in geostationary orbit approximately 22,300 miles above the
equator, seven of which we own and depreciate over their estimated useful life. We also lease two satellites from third
parties: Anik F3, which is accounted for as an operating lease, and Nimiq 5, which is accounted for as a finance lease
and is depreciated over its economic life. As of July 2023, we no longer lease the Ciel II satellite.
F-35
Table of Contents
DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
As of December 31, 2023, our Pay-TV segment satellite fleet consisted of the following:
Satellites
Owned:
EchoStar X
EchoStar XI
EchoStar XIV
EchoStar XV
EchoStar XVI
EchoStar XVIII
EchoStar XXIII
Under Construction:
EchoStar XXV
Leased from Other Third-Party:
Anik F3
Nimiq 5
Satellite Under Construction
Launch
Date
February 2006
July 2008
March 2010
July 2010
November 2012
June 2016
March 2017
2026
April 2007
September 2009
Degree
Orbital
Location
Lease
Termination
Date
110
110
119
61.5
61.5
61.5
110
110
118.7
72.7
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
April 2025
September 2024
EchoStar XXV. On March 20, 2023, we entered into a contract with Maxar Space LLC for the construction of EchoStar
XXV, a DBS satellite that is capable of providing service to the continental United States (“CONUS”) and is intended
to be used at the 110 degree orbital location. During the fourth quarter of 2023, we entered into an agreement with
Space Exploration Technologies Corp (“SpaceX”) for launch services for this satellite, which is expected to be
launched during 2026.
Satellite Anomalies
Operation of our DISH TV services requires that we have adequate satellite transmission capacity for the programming
that we offer. 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 owned or leased 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 thus may have a material adverse effect on our business,
financial condition and results of operations.
In the past, certain of our owned and leased satellites have experienced anomalies, some of which have had a
significant adverse impact on their remaining useful life and/or commercial operation. There can be no assurance that
future anomalies will not impact the remaining useful life and/or commercial operation of any of the owned and leased
satellites in our fleet. See Note 2 for further information on evaluation of impairment. There can be no assurance that
we can recover critical transmission capacity in the event one or more of our owned or leased in-orbit satellites were to
fail. We generally do not carry commercial launch or in-orbit insurance on any of the satellites that we own and
therefore, we will bear the risk associated with any uninsured launch or in-orbit satellite failures.
F-36
Table of Contents
Intangible Assets
DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, our identifiable intangibles subject to amortization consisted of the following:
As of December 31,
2023
2022
Intangible
Assets
Accumulated
Amortization
Intangible
Assets
Accumulated
Amortization
$
$
63,766
135,134
41,500
628,598
868,998
$
$
(In thousands)
(60,590) $
(71,640)
(41,500)
(535,778)
(709,508) $
63,545
135,134
41,500
628,598
868,777
$
$
(60,022)
(61,007)
(41,500)
(366,357)
(528,886)
Technology-based
Trademarks
Contract-based
Customer relationships
Total
These identifiable intangibles are included in “Intangible assets, net” on our Consolidated Balance Sheets.
Amortization of these intangible assets is recorded on a straight-line basis over an average finite useful life primarily
ranging from approximately two to 20 years. Amortization was $181 million, $154 million and $164 million for the
years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
Estimated future amortization of our identifiable intangible assets as of December 31, 2023 is as follows (in
thousands):
For the Years Ended December 31,
2024
2025
2026
2027
2028
Thereafter
Total
Goodwill
$
$
(In thousands)
95,641
13,534
11,838
11,355
10,872
16,029
159,269
Goodwill represents the excess of the consideration transferred over the estimated fair values of assets acquired and
liabilities assumed as of the acquisition date and is not subject to amortization but is subject to impairment testing
annually or whenever indicators of impairment arise.
During the year ended December 31, 2023 we recorded a noncash impairment charge for goodwill of $225 million in
“Impairment of long-lived assets and goodwill” on our Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive
Income (Loss). See Note 2 for further information. The non-recurring measurement of fair value of goodwill is
classified as Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy.
As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, our goodwill consisted of the following:
As of
December 31,
2023
December 31,
2022
Pay-TV
Retail Wireless
5G Network Deployment
Total goodwill
$
$
F-37
$
(In thousands)
—
—
—
—
$
6,457
98,657
119,903
225,017
Table of Contents
DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
Regulatory Authorizations – Pay-TV and 5G Network Deployment Segments
As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, our Regulatory Authorizations with indefinite lives consisted of the following:
Owned:
DBS Licenses
700 MHz Licenses
AWS-4 Licenses
H Block Licenses
600 MHz Licenses
MVDDS Licenses
28 GHz Licenses
24 GHz Licenses
37 GHz, 39 GHz & 47 GHz Licenses
3550-3650 MHz Licenses
3.7-3.98 GHz Licenses
3.45-3.55 GHz Licenses
1695-1710 MHz, 1755-1780 MHz, and 2155-2180 MHz
AWS-3
Subtotal
Noncontrolling Investments:
SNR
Capitalized Interest (1)
Total
(1) See Note 2 for further information.
8.
Leases
Lessee Accounting
As of December 31,
2023
2022
(In thousands)
$
$
$
677,409
711,871
1,940,000
1,671,506
6,213,335
24,000
2,883
11,772
202,533
912,939
2,969
7,327,989
972
5,618,930
25,319,108
4,271,459
8,523,682
38,114,249
$
677,409
711,871
1,940,000
1,671,506
6,212,579
24,000
2,883
11,772
202,533
912,939
2,688
7,327,989
—
5,618,930
25,317,099
4,271,459
7,344,515
36,933,073
We enter into non-cancelable operating and finance leases for, among other things, communication towers, satellites,
office space, dark fiber and transport equipment, warehouses and distribution centers, vehicles and other equipment.
Substantially all of our leases have remaining lease terms from one to 13 years, some of which include renewal
options, and some of which include options to terminate the leases within one year. For certain arrangements
(generally communication towers), the lease term includes the non-cancelable period plus the renewal period that we
are reasonably certain to exercise.
Through the first quarter of 2022, our Anik F3 and Nimiq 5 satellites were accounted for as finance leases within our
Pay-TV segment. However, during April 2022, we extended the Anik F3 lease and as a result it is currently accounted
for as an operating lease. Substantially all of our remaining leases are accounted for as operating leases.
F-38
Table of Contents
DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
The components of lease expense were as follows:
Operating lease cost (1)
Short-term lease cost (2)
Finance lease cost:
Amortization of right-of-use assets (3)
Interest on lease liabilities (3)
Total finance lease cost (3)
Total lease costs
2023
For the Years Ended December 31,
2022
(In thousands)
516,920 $
332,385 $
2021
10,521
13,328
66,966
14,090
81,056
608,497 $
28,037
12,145
40,182
385,895 $
89,565
12,956
65,967
14,693
80,660
183,181
$
$
(1) The increase in operating lease cost is primarily related to communication tower leases.
(2) Leases that have terms of 12 months or less.
(3) The decrease in finance lease cost for the year ended December 31, 2022 is primarily related to the QuetzSat-1
finance lease, which expired in November 2021, as well as the Anik F3 finance lease that was extended in April
2022 and as a result is currently accounted for as an operating lease. The increase in finance lease cost for the
year ended December 31, 2023 is primarily related to equipment for our 5G Network Deployment.
Supplemental cash flow information related to leases was as follows:
Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of lease liabilities:
Operating cash flows from operating leases
Operating cash flows from finance leases
Financing cash flows from finance leases
Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for lease obligations:
Operating leases
Finance leases
For the Years Ended December 31,
2022
2023
(In thousands)
2021
346,091 $
13,400 $
53,467 $
163,320 $
11,053 $
42,617 $
72,479
12,868
62,679
741,017 $
53,771 $
1,398,050 $
66,312 $
1,467,983
—
$
$
$
$
$
F-39
Table of Contents
DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
Supplemental balance sheet information related to leases was as follows:
Operating Leases:
Operating lease assets (1)
Other current liabilities (1)
Operating lease liabilities (1)
Total operating lease liabilities (1)
Finance Leases:
Property and equipment, gross
Accumulated depreciation
Property and equipment, net
Other current liabilities
Other long-term liabilities
Total finance lease liabilities
Weighted Average Remaining Lease Term:
Operating leases
Finance leases
Weighted Average Discount Rate:
Operating leases
Finance leases
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
As of December 31,
2023
2022
(In thousands)
2,934,862 $
2,687,522
301,172 $
2,992,863
3,294,035 $
465,549 $
(370,768)
94,781 $
56,459 $
67,199
123,658 $
10.7 years
2.2 years
9.5%
9.7%
194,030
2,687,883
2,881,913
411,778
(303,802)
107,976
48,066
75,287
123,353
11.8 years
2.7 years
7.3%
9.8%
(1) In the fourth quarter of 2023, we revised certain terms with a vendor supplying communication towers. The
revision in terms resulted in a lease modification, which was not accounted for as a separate contract. On the
measurement date, we reassessed the terms of the original agreement, including but not limited to the timing of
future cash flows, the remaining economic life of the underlying asset, the discount rate and the lease
classification. This resulted in a reduction to both the operating lease asset and operating lease liability by
approximately $227 million, which is included in “Operating lease assets,” and “Operating lease liabilities” on our
Consolidated Balance Sheets.
Maturities of lease liabilities as of December 31, 2023 were as follows:
For the Years Ending December 31,
2024
2025
2026
2027
2028
Thereafter
Total lease payments
Less: Imputed interest
Total
Less: Current portion
Long-term portion of lease obligations
Operating
Leases
Maturities of Lease Liabilities
Finance
Leases
(In thousands)
Total
$
$
423,347 $
463,276
495,472
495,786
454,612
3,067,035
5,399,528
(2,105,493)
3,294,035
(301,172)
2,992,863 $
66,073 $
35,392
36,588
2,574
—
—
140,627
(16,969)
123,658
(56,459)
67,199 $
489,420
498,668
532,060
498,360
454,612
3,067,035
5,540,155
(2,122,462)
3,417,693
(357,631)
3,060,062
F-40
Table of Contents
DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
9. Long-Term Debt and Finance Lease Obligations
Fair Value of our Long-Term Debt
The following table summarizes the carrying amount and fair value of our debt facilities as of December 31, 2023 and
2022:
As of
December 31, 2023
December 31, 2022
Issuer
Carrying
Amount
Fair Value
Carrying
Amount
Fair Value
(In thousands)
5% Senior Notes due 2023 (1)
2 3/8% Convertible Notes due 2024 (2)
5 7/8% Senior Notes due 2024 (3)
0% Convertible Notes due 2025 (4)
7 3/4% Senior Notes due 2026
3 3/8% Convertible Notes due 2026 (5)
5 1/4% Senior Secured Notes due 2026
11 3/4% Senior Secured Notes due 2027 (6)
7 3/8% Senior Notes due 2028
5 3/4% Senior Secured Notes due 2028
5 1/8% Senior Notes due 2029
Other notes payable
Subtotal
Unamortized deferred financing costs and other debt
discounts, net
Finance lease obligations (7)
Total long-term debt and finance lease obligations
(including current portion)
944,034
1,872,275
1,228,141
1,388,060
1,570,753
2,366,073
3,668,980
600,160
2,013,125
774,600
113,564
$ 16,539,765
— $ 1,443,179
1,000,000
2,000,000
2,000,000
2,000,000
3,000,000
2,750,000
2,000,000
1,000,000
2,500,000
1,500,000
138,303
21,331,482
$ 1,441,635
906,970
1,870,940
1,287,540
1,620,280
1,894,230
2,336,813
2,071,240
708,320
2,013,675
976,755
138,303
$ 17,266,700
DDBS $
DISH
DDBS
DISH
DDBS
DISH
DDBS
DISH
DDBS
DDBS
DDBS
— $
951,168
1,982,544
1,957,197
2,000,000
2,908,801
2,750,000
3,500,000
1,000,000
2,500,000
1,500,000
113,564
21,163,274
(67,215)
123,658
(105,697)
123,353
$ 21,219,717
$ 21,349,138
(1) We had repurchased or redeemed the principal balance of our 5% Senior Notes due 2023 as of March 15, 2023,
the instrument’s maturity date.
(2) During the year ended December 31, 2023, we repurchased approximately $49 million of our 2 3/8% Convertible
Notes due 2024 in open market trades. The remaining balance of approximately $951 million matured and was
redeemed on March 15, 2024.
(3) During the year ended December 31, 2023, we repurchased approximately $17 million of our 5 7/8% Senior Notes
due 2024 in open market trades. The remaining balance of approximately $1.983 billion matures on November
15, 2024 and is included in “Current portion of long-term debt and finance lease obligations” on our Consolidated
Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2023.
(4) During the year ended December 31, 2023, we repurchased approximately $43 million of our 0% Convertible
Notes due 2025 in open market trades. The remaining balance of approximately $1.957 billion matures on
December 15, 2025.
(5) During the year ended December 31, 2023, we repurchased approximately $91 million of our 3 3/8% Convertible
Notes due 2026 in open market trades. The remaining balance of approximately $2.909 billion matures on August
15, 2026.
(6) On January 26, 2023, we issued an additional $1.5 billion aggregate principal amount of our 11 3/4% Senior
Secured Notes due 2027.
(7) Disclosure regarding fair value of finance leases is not required.
We estimated the fair value of our publicly traded long-term debt using market prices in less active markets (Level 2).
F-41
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DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
DISH DBS Unsecured Senior Notes
Our Senior Notes are:
● general unsecured senior obligations of DISH DBS Corporation (“DISH DBS”);
● ranked equally in right of payment with all of DISH DBS’ and the guarantors’ existing and future unsecured
senior debt; and
● ranked effectively junior to our and the guarantors’ current and future secured senior indebtedness up to the
value of the collateral securing such indebtedness.
The indentures related to our Senior Notes contain restrictive covenants that, among other things, impose limitations
on the ability of DISH DBS and its restricted subsidiaries to:
● incur additional debt;
● pay dividends or make distributions on DISH DBS’ capital stock or repurchase DISH DBS’ capital stock;
● make certain investments;
● create liens or enter into sale and leaseback transactions;
● enter into transactions with affiliates;
● merge or consolidate with another company; and
● transfer or sell assets.
In the event of a change of control, as defined in the related indentures, we would be required to make an offer to
repurchase all or any part of a holder’s Senior Notes at a purchase price equal to 101% of the aggregate principal
amount thereof, together with accrued and unpaid interest thereon, to the date of repurchase.
5 7/8% Senior Notes due 2024
On November 20, 2014, we issued $2.0 billion aggregate principal amount of our ten-year 5 7/8% Senior Notes due
November 15, 2024. Interest accrues at an annual rate of 5 7/8% and is payable semi-annually in cash, in arrears on
May 15 and November 15 of each year.
The 5 7/8% Senior Notes due 2024 are redeemable, in whole or in part, at any time at a redemption price equal to
100% of the principal amount plus a “make-whole” premium, as defined in the related indenture, together with accrued
and unpaid interest.
7 3/4% Senior Notes due 2026
On June 13, 2016, we issued $2.0 billion aggregate principal amount of our ten-year 7 3/4% Senior Notes due July 1,
2026. Interest accrues at an annual rate of 7 3/4% and is payable semi-annually in cash, in arrears on January 1 and
July 1 of each year.
The 7 3/4% Senior Notes are redeemable, in whole or in part, at any time at a redemption price equal to 100% of the
principal amount plus a “make-whole” premium, as defined in the related indenture, together with accrued and unpaid
interest.
7 3/8% Senior Notes due 2028
On July 1, 2020, we issued $1.0 billion aggregate principal amount of our 7 3/8% Senior Notes due July 1, 2028.
Interest accrues at an annual rate of 7 3/8% and is payable semi-annually in cash, in arrears on January 1 and July 1 of
each year.
The 7 3/8% Senior Notes are redeemable, in whole or in part, at any time prior to July 1, 2023 at a redemption price
equal to 100% of the principal amount plus a “make-whole” premium, as defined in the related indenture, together
with accrued and unpaid interest. On or after July 1, 2023, we may redeem the Notes, in whole or in part, at any time
at the redemption prices specified under the related indenture, together with accrued and unpaid interest.
F-42
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DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
5 1/8% Senior Notes due 2029
On May 24, 2021, we issued $1.5 billion aggregate principal amount of our 5 1/8% Senior Notes due June 1, 2029.
Interest accrues at an annual rate of 5 1/8% and is payable semi-annually in cash, in arrears on June 1 and December 1
of each year.
The 5 1/8% Senior Notes are redeemable, in whole or in part, at any time at a redemption price equal to 100% of the
principal amount plus a “make-whole” premium, as defined in the related indenture, together with accrued and unpaid
interest. Prior to June 1, 2024, we may also redeem up to 35% of the 5 1/8% Senior Notes at a specified premium with
the net cash proceeds from certain equity offerings or capital contributions.
Convertible Notes
Merger with EchoStar
In connection with the completion of the Merger, on December 31, 2023, at the Effective Time, the right of the holders
of the Convertible Notes that were outstanding as of the completion of the Merger to convert each $1,000 principal
amount of such Convertible Notes into shares of DISH Class A Common Stock was changed into a right to convert
such principal amount of Convertible Notes into the number of shares of EchoStar Class A Common Stock that a
holder of a number of shares of DISH Class A Common Stock equal to the applicable initial conversion rate (as
defined in the applicable Indenture) would have been entitled to receive upon the completion of the Merger. Upon the
completion of the Merger, each then-outstanding share of DISH Class A Common Stock was converted into the right
to receive 0.350877 shares of EchoStar Common Stock, resulting in an adjusted initial conversion rate of 4.2677 for
the 2 3/8% Convertible Notes due 2024, 8.5657 for the 0% Convertible Notes due 2025 and 5.3835 for the 3 3/8%
Convertible Notes due 2026 for each $1,000 principal amount.
As a result of the merger with EchoStar, we have reassessed the classification of the conversion features on all of our
convertible debt, the note hedge and warrant transactions associated with the convertible notes due 2026. Historically
we concluded that these financial instruments were not derivatives. However, as a result in the change of equity issuer
(from us to our parent EchoStar) we concluded that the financial instruments are no longer indexed to their own equity
and now require derivative accounting. Due to the conversion ratio associated with the merger, the strike prices on all
associated financial instruments are significantly out of the money and have nominal value. We will reassess the value
of these derivatives on a quarterly basis and record the change in fair value through “Other, net” within “Other Income
(Expense)” included on our Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss).
All amounts below represent the adjusted conversion rate.
2 3/8% Convertible Notes due 2024
On March 17, 2017, we issued $1.0 billion aggregate principal amount of the Convertible Notes due March 15, 2024 in
a private placement. Interest accrues at an annual rate of 2 3/8% and is payable semi-annually in cash, in arrears on
March 15 and September 15 of each year.
The Convertible Notes due 2024 are:
● our general unsecured obligations;
● ranked senior in right of payment to any future indebtedness that is expressly subordinated in right of
payment to the Convertible Notes due 2024;
● ranked equally in right of payment with all of our existing and future unsecured senior indebtedness;
● ranked effectively junior to any of our existing and future secured indebtedness to the extent of the value of
the assets securing such indebtedness;
● ranked structurally junior to all indebtedness and other liabilities of our subsidiaries; and
● not guaranteed by our subsidiaries.
F-43
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DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
0% Convertible Notes due 2025
On December 21, 2020, we issued $2.0 billion aggregate principal amount of the Convertible Notes due December 15,
2025 in a private placement. These notes will not bear interest, and the principal amount of the Notes will not accrete.
The Convertible Notes due 2025 are:
● our general unsecured obligations;
● ranked senior in right of payment to any future indebtedness that is expressly subordinated in right of
payment to the Convertible Notes due 2025;
● ranked equally in right of payment with all of our existing and future unsecured senior indebtedness;
● ranked effectively junior to any of our existing and future secured indebtedness to the extent of the value of
the assets securing such indebtedness;
● ranked structurally junior to all indebtedness and other liabilities of our subsidiaries; and
● not guaranteed by our subsidiaries.
We may not redeem the Convertible Notes due 2025 prior to the maturity date. If a “fundamental change” (as defined
in the related indenture) occurs prior to the maturity date of the Convertible Notes due 2025, holders may require us to
repurchase for cash all or part of their Convertible Notes due 2025 at a repurchase price equal to 100% of the principal
amount of such Convertible Notes due 2025, plus accrued and unpaid interest to, but not including, the fundamental
change repurchase date.
The indenture related to the Convertible Notes due 2025 does not contain any financial covenants and does not restrict
us from paying dividends, issuing or repurchasing our other securities, issuing new debt (including secured debt) or
repaying or repurchasing our debt.
Subject to the terms of the related indenture, the Convertible Notes due 2025 may be converted at an initial conversion
rate of 8.566 shares of EchoStar’s Class A common stock per $1,000 principal amount of the Convertible Notes due
2025 (equivalent to an initial conversion price of approximately $116.74 per share of EchoStar’s Class A common
stock) (the “Initial Conversion Rate”), at any time on or after July 15, 2025 through the second scheduled trading day
preceding the maturity date. Holders of the Convertible Notes due 2025 will also have the right to convert the
Convertible Notes due 2025 at the Initial Conversion Rate prior to July 15, 2025, but only upon the occurrence of
specified events described in the related indenture. The conversion rate is subject to anti-dilution adjustments if
certain events occur. Upon any conversion, EchoStar will settle its conversion obligation in cash, shares of EchoStar’s
Class A common stock or a combination of cash and shares of EchoStar’s Class A common stock, at its election.
3 3/8% Convertible Notes due 2026
On August 8, 2016, we issued $3.0 billion aggregate principal amount of the Convertible Notes due August 15, 2026
in a private offering. Interest accrues at an annual rate of 3 3/8% and is payable semi-annually in cash, in arrears on
February 15 and August 15 of each year.
The Convertible Notes due 2026 are:
● our general unsecured obligations;
● ranked senior in right of payment to any future indebtedness that is expressly subordinated in right of
payment to the Convertible Notes due 2026;
● ranked equally in right of payment with all of our existing and future unsecured senior indebtedness;
● ranked effectively junior to any of our existing and future secured indebtedness to the extent of the value of
the assets securing such indebtedness;
● ranked structurally junior to all indebtedness and other liabilities of our subsidiaries; and
● not guaranteed by our subsidiaries.
F-44
Table of Contents
DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
We may not redeem the Convertible Notes due 2026 prior to the maturity date. If a “fundamental change” (as defined
in the related indenture) occurs prior to the maturity date of the Convertible Notes due 2026, holders may require us to
repurchase for cash all or part of their Convertible Notes due 2026 at a specified make-whole price equal to 100% of
the principal amount of such Convertible Notes due 2026, plus accrued and unpaid interest to, but not including, the
fundamental change repurchase date.
The indenture related to the Convertible Notes due 2026 does not contain any financial covenants and does not restrict
us from paying dividends, issuing or repurchasing our other securities, issuing new debt (including secured debt) or
repaying or repurchasing our debt.
Subject to the terms of the related indenture, the Convertible Notes due 2026 may be converted at an initial conversion
rate of 5.383 shares of EchoStar’s Class A common stock per $1,000 principal amount of Convertible Notes due 2026
(equivalent to an initial conversion price of approximately $185.76 per share of EchoStar’s Class A common stock)
(the “Initial Conversion Rate”), at any time on or after March 15, 2026 through the second scheduled trading day
preceding the maturity date. Holders of the Convertible Notes due 2026 will also have the right to convert the
Convertible Notes due 2026 at the Initial Conversion Rate prior to March 15, 2026, but only upon the occurrence of
specified events described in the related indenture. The conversion rate is subject to anti-dilution adjustments if
certain events occur. Upon any conversion, EchoStar will settle its conversion obligation in cash, shares of EchoStar’s
Class A common stock or a combination of cash and shares of EchoStar’s Class A common stock, at its election.
Convertible Note Hedge and Warrant Transactions
Merger with EchoStar. In connection with the completion of the Merger, on December 31, 2023, we and EchoStar
entered into a note hedge amendment letter agreement with each option counterparty pursuant to which, at the
Effective Time, our right to purchase shares of DISH Class A Common Stock pursuant to the terms of the applicable
convertible note hedge transactions was changed into a right to purchase shares of EchoStar Class A Common Stock.
In addition, in connection with the completion of the Merger, on December 31, 2023, we and EchoStar entered into a
warrant amendment letter agreement and warrant guarantee with each option counterparty, pursuant to which, at the
Effective Time, each counterparty’s right to purchase shares of DISH Network Class A Common Stock pursuant to the
applicable warrant transactions was changed into a right to purchase shares of EchoStar Class A Common Stock, and
EchoStar guaranteed all of our obligations under the applicable warrant transactions.
In connection with the offering of the Convertible Notes due 2026, we entered into convertible note hedge transactions
with certain option counterparties. The convertible note hedge transactions cover, subject to anti-dilution adjustments
substantially similar to those applicable to the Convertible Notes due 2026, the number of shares of our Class A
Common Stock underlying the Convertible Notes due 2026, which initially gives us the option to purchase
approximately 46 million shares of our Class A Common Stock at a price of approximately $65.18 per share, which in
connection with the completion of the Merger converted into approximately 16 million shares of EchoStar Class A
Common Stock at a price of approximately $185.76 per share. The total cost of the original convertible note hedge
transactions was $635 million. Concurrently with entering into the convertible note hedge transactions, we also
entered into warrant transactions with each option counterparty whereby we sold to such option counterparty warrants
to purchase, subject to customary anti-dilution adjustments, up to the same number of shares of our Class A common
stock, which initially gives the option counterparties the option to purchase approximately 46 million shares of our
Class A common stock at a price of approximately $86.08 per share, which in connection with the completion of the
Merger converted into approximately 16 million shares of EchoStar Class A Common Stock at price ranges of
approximately $185.75 to $245.33 per share. We received $376 million in cash proceeds from the original sale of these
warrants. In accordance with accounting guidance on hedge and warrant transactions, the net cost incurred in
connection with the convertible note hedge and warrant transactions are recorded as a reduction in “Additional paid-in
capital” within “Stockholders’ Equity (Deficit)” on our Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2016.
F-45
Table of Contents
DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
We will not be required to make any cash payments to each option counterparty or its affiliates upon the exercise of the
options that are a part of the convertible note hedge transactions, but will be entitled to receive from them a number of
shares of Class A common stock, an amount of cash or a combination thereof. This consideration is generally based
on the amount by which the market price per share of Class A common stock, as measured under the terms of the
convertible note hedge transactions, is greater than the strike price of the convertible note hedge transactions during
the relevant valuation period under the convertible note hedge transactions. Additionally, if the market price per share
of Class A common stock, as measured under the terms of the warrant transactions, exceeds the strike price of the
warrants during the measurement period at the maturity of the warrants, we will owe each option counterparty a
number of shares of Class A common stock in an amount based on the excess of such market price per share of
Class A common stock over the strike price of the warrants. However, as specified under the terms of the warrant
transactions, we may elect to settle the warrants in cash.
DISH DBS Senior Secured Notes
Our DISH DBS Senior Secured Notes are:
● general senior secured obligations of DISH DBS Corporation (“DISH DBS”);
● secured by security interests in substantially all existing and future tangible and intangible assets of DISH
DBS and its principal operating subsidiaries on a first priority basis, subject to certain exceptions;
● ranked equally in right of payment with all of DISH DBS’ and the guarantors’ existing and future senior
debt;
● ranked senior in right of payment and effectively senior to any of DISH DBS’ and the guarantors’ junior lien
or unsecured debt to the extent of the value of the pledged collateral that secures the Senior Secured Notes;
and
● ranked effectively junior to DISH DBS’ and the guarantors’ obligations that are secured by assets that are not
part of the pledged collateral that secures the Senior Secured Notes, to the extent of the value of such assets.
The indenture related to our DISH DBS Senior Secured Notes contain restrictive covenants that, among other things,
impose limitations on the ability of DISH DBS and its restricted subsidiaries to:
● incur additional debt;
● pay dividends or make distributions on DISH DBS’ capital stock or repurchase DISH DBS’ capital stock;
● make certain investments;
● create liens or enter into sale and leaseback transactions;
● enter into transactions with affiliates;
● merge or consolidate with another company; and
● transfer or sell assets.
In the event of a change of control, as defined in the related indenture, we would be required to make an offer to
repurchase all or any part of a holder’s Senior Secured Notes at a purchase price equal to 101% of the aggregate
principal amount thereof, together with accrued and unpaid interest thereon, to the date of repurchase.
5 1/4% Senior Secured Notes due 2026
On November 26, 2021, we issued $2.750 billion aggregate principal amount of our 5 1/4% Senior Secured Notes due
December 1, 2026. Interest accrues at an annual rate of 5 1/4% and is payable semi-annually in cash, in arrears on
June 1 and December 1 of each year, commencing on June 1, 2022.
F-46
Table of Contents
DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
The 5 1/4% Senior Secured Notes due 2026 are redeemable, in whole or in part, at any time prior to June 1, 2026 (the
“2026 Par Call Date”) at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount plus a “make-whole” premium, as
defined in the related indenture, together with accrued and unpaid interest. At any time on or after the 2026 Par Call
Date, we may redeem the 5 1/4% Senior Secured Notes due 2026, in whole at any time or in part from time to time, at
a price equal to 100% of the principal amount thereof, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the redemption date.
Prior to December 1, 2024, we may also redeem up to 35% of the 5 1/4% Senior Secured Notes due 2026 at a specified
premium with the net cash proceeds from certain equity offerings or capital contributions. At any time and from time
to time during the 36-month period following the issue date of the 5 1/4% Senior Secured Notes due 2026, we may
redeem up to 10% of the aggregate principal amount during each twelve-month period commencing with the issue date
at a redemption price of 103% of the aggregate principal amount thereof plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to,
but excluding, the redemption date.
5 3/4% Senior Secured Notes due 2028
On November 26, 2021, we issued $2.5 billion aggregate principal amount of our 5 3/4% Senior Secured Notes due
December 1, 2028. Interest accrues at an annual rate of 5 3/4% and is payable semi-annually in cash, in arrears on
June 1 and December 1 of each year, commencing on June 1, 2022.
The 5 3/4% Senior Secured Notes due 2028 are redeemable, in whole or in part, at any time prior to December 1, 2027
(the “2028 Par Call Date”) at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount plus a “make-whole”
premium, as defined in the related indenture, together with accrued and unpaid interest. At any time on or after the
2028 Par Call Date, we may redeem the 5 3/4% Senior Secured Notes due 2028, in whole at any time or in part from
time to time, at a price equal to 100% of the principal amount thereof, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the
redemption date. Prior to December 1, 2024, we may also redeem up to 35% of the 5 3/4% Senior Secured Notes due
2028 at a specified premium with the net cash proceeds from certain equity offerings or capital contributions. At any
time and from time to time during the 36-month period following the issue date of the 5 3/4% Senior Secured Notes
due 2028, we may redeem up to 10% of the aggregate principal amount during each twelve-month period commencing
with the issue date at a redemption price of 103% of the aggregate principal amount thereof plus accrued and unpaid
interest, if any, to, but excluding, the redemption date.
Intercompany Loan
The net proceeds from the offering of our 5 1/4% Senior Secured Notes due 2026 and our 5 3/4% Senior Secured
Notes due 2028 (the “Senior Notes”) issued on November 26, 2021 were used by DISH DBS to make an intercompany
loan to DISH Network pursuant to a Loan and Security Agreement dated November 26, 2021 (together with potential
future advances to DISH Network, the “Intercompany Loan”) between DISH DBS and DISH Network in order to
finance the purchase of wireless spectrum licenses and for general corporate purposes, including our 5G Network
Deployment. The Intercompany Loan will mature in two tranches, with the first tranche maturing on December 1,
2026 (the “2026 Tranche”) and the second tranche maturing on December 1, 2028 (the “2028 Tranche”). DISH DBS
may make additional advances to DISH Network under the Intercompany Loan, and on February 11, 2022, DISH DBS
advanced an additional $1.5 billion to DISH Network under the Intercompany Loan 2026 Tranche. Interest accrues
and is payable semiannually, and interest payments with respect to the Intercompany Loan are, at our option, payable
in kind for the first two years. In the third year, a minimum of 50% of each interest payment due with respect to each
tranche of the Intercompany Loan must be paid in cash. Thereafter, interest payments must be paid in cash. Interest
will accrue: (a) when paid in cash, at a fixed rate of 0.25% per annum in excess of the interest rate applicable to, in the
case of the 2026 Tranche, the 5 1/4% Senior Secured Notes due 2026, and in the case of the 2028 Tranche, the 5 3/4%
Senior Secured Notes due 2028 (each, the “Cash Accrual Rate” with respect to the applicable tranche); and (b) when
paid in kind, at a rate of 0.75% per annum in excess of the Cash Accrual Rate for the applicable tranche. As of
December 31, 2023, the total Intercompany Loan amount outstanding plus interest paid in kind was $7.496 billion. As
of December 31, 2023, interest payments for the Intercompany Loan paid in cash totaled $105 million. In January
2024, the 2026 Tranche of $4.7 billion was assigned to EchoStar Intercompany Receivable Company L.L.C., our
parent, EchoStar’s, direct wholly-owned subsidiary, such that amounts owed in respect of the 2026 Tranche will now
be paid by DISH Network to EchoStar Intercompany Receivable L.L.C. See Note 18 for further information.
F-47
Table of Contents
DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
The cash proceeds of the Intercompany Loan of $6.750 billion were paid to the FCC in connection with Weminuche’s
winning bids in Auction 110. As a result, the Intercompany Loan is secured by Weminuche’s interest in the wireless
spectrum licenses acquired in Auction 110 with such cash proceeds up to the total loan amount outstanding including
interest paid in kind.
The remaining balance of our winning bids of approximately $455 million was paid from cash and marketable
investment securities balances at that time, for a total of approximately $7.205 billion. Under certain circumstances,
DISH Network wireless spectrum licenses (valued based upon a third-party valuation) may be substituted for the
collateral. The Intercompany Loan is not included as collateral for the Senior Secured Notes, and the Senior Secured
Notes are subordinated to DISH DBS’s existing and certain future unsecured notes with respect to certain realizations
under the Intercompany Loan and any collateral pledged as security for the Intercompany Loan.
DISH Network Senior Secured Notes
Our DISH Network Senior Secured Notes are:
● senior unsecured obligations and guaranteed by certain restricted subsidiaries on a senior secured basis and
certain other material subsidiaries;
● secured on a first priority basis by security interests, in favor of the secured parties, in the collateral, which
consists primarily of interests in wireless spectrum licenses within the 600 MHz band (“the Spectrum
Collateral”) owned by one of the secured guarantors and any additional subsidiaries of ours that may be
added as guarantors from time to time and equity interests in the Spectrum Collateral guarantor(s) and DISH
DBS;
● ranked equally in right of payment with all of our and the guarantor’s existing and future senior indebtedness;
● ranked senior in right of payment to any of our and the guarantors’ subordinated indebtedness and effectively
senior to any of the Secured Guarantors unsecured indebtedness and indebtedness secured by junior liens on
the collateral to the extent of the value of the collateral and effectively junior to all the existing and future
obligations of any of our subsidiaries that are not Guarantors.
● ranked effectively junior to our obligations and the obligations of the guarantors that are secured by assets
that do not constitute collateral to the extent of the value of such assets;
The indenture related to our DISH Network Senior Secured Notes contain restrictive covenants that, among other
things, impose limitations on our ability and certain of our subsidiaries to:
● incur additional debt;
● pay dividends or make distributions on our capital stock or repurchase our capital stock;
● make certain investments of Spectrum Collateral;
● create liens or enter into sale and leaseback transactions;
● enter into transactions with affiliates;
● merge or consolidate with another company; and
● transfer or sell assets.
In the event of a change of control, as defined in the related indenture, we would be required to make an offer to
repurchase all or any part of a holder’s DISH Network Senior Secured Notes at a purchase price equal to 101% of the
aggregate principal amount thereof, together with accrued and unpaid interest thereon, to the date of repurchase.
11 3/4% Senior Secured Notes due 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, commencing on May 15,
2023.
F-48
Table of Contents
DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
The 11 3/4% Senior Secured Notes due 2027 are redeemable, in whole or in part, at any time prior to May 15, 2025 at
a redemption price equal to 100% of their principal amount plus a “make-whole” premium, as defined in the related
indenture, together with accrued and unpaid interest. At any time on or after May 15, 2025, we may redeem the 11
3/4% Senior Secured Notes due 2027, in whole at any time or in part from time to time, at the redemption prices
specified in the related indenture, together with accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the redemption date. Prior to
May 15, 2025, we may also redeem up to 40% of the 11 3/4% Senior Secured Notes due 2027 at a redemption price
equal to 111.750% of the aggregate principal amount of the 11 3/4% Senior Secured Notes due 2027 redeemed,
together with accrued and unpaid interest to such redemption date, with the net cash proceeds from certain equity
offerings or capital contributions.
Pursuant to the related indenture, we are required to obtain an initial appraisal of the Spectrum Collateral by an
independent appraiser (the “Initial Appraisal”) within 120 days following the issue date of the 11 3/4% Senior Secured
Notes due 2027. As of January 17, 2023, the Initial Appraisal certified we had satisfied the requirements under the
loan-to-value ratio (as defined in the Indenture). Based on the independent appraisal, the loan-to-value ratio was not
greater than 0.35 to 1.00 and the fair market value of the Spectrum Collateral was $10.04 billion. We will also be
required to obtain a second appraisal of the Spectrum Collateral (a “Second Appraisal”) within 120 days of the date if
wireless spectrum licenses that form part of the Spectrum Collateral accounting for more than 10% of the aggregate
MHz-POPs of all such licenses constituting the Spectrum Collateral are forfeited to the Federal Communications
Commission as a result of our failure to meet its buildout milestones with respect to such forfeited licenses. If we fail
to deliver the Initial Appraisal or a Second Appraisal, as applicable, within 120 days following the issue date of the 11
3/4% Senior Secured Notes due 2027 or the date of forfeiture, respectively, then we will be required to redeem all of
the 11 3/4% Senior Secured Notes due 2027 at a redemption price equal to 102% of their principal amount, plus
accrued and unpaid interest to, but excluding, the redemption date.
If the loan-to-value ratio with respect to the Spectrum Collateral as of the date of the Initial Appraisal or the Second
Appraisal, as applicable, is greater than 0.35 to 1.00, then within 60 days following the date of the delivery of the
Initial Appraisal, or within 90 days following the date of the delivery of the Second Appraisal, as applicable, we will
be required to add additional Spectrum Collateral guarantors and/or pledge (or cause to be pledged) cash or interests in
additional wireless spectrum licenses as Spectrum Collateral to comply with the required loan-to-value ratio of 0.35 to
1.00. If we fail to add such additional Spectrum Collateral and/or pledge (or cause to be pledged) cash or interests in
additional wireless spectrum licenses, we will be required to redeem an amount of 11 3/4% Senior Secured Notes due
2027 such that immediately after giving effect to such redemption, the loan-to-value ratio shall not be greater than 0.35
to 1.00 at a redemption price equal to 102% of their principal amount, plus accrued and unpaid interest to, but
excluding, the redemption date.
Interest on Long-Term Debt
2 3/8% Convertible Notes due 2024 (1)
5 7/8% Senior Notes due 2024 (2)
7 3/4% Senior Notes due 2026
3 3/8% Convertible Notes due 2026
5 1/4% Senior Secured Notes due 2026
11 3/4% Senior Secured Notes due 2027
7 3/8% Senior Notes due 2028
5 3/4% Senior Secured Notes due 2028
5 1/8% Senior Notes due 2029
Issuer
Semi-Annual
Payment Dates
DISH
DDBS
DDBS
DISH
DDBS
DISH
DDBS
DDBS
DDBS
March 15 and September 15
May 15 and November 15
January 1 and July 1
February 15 and August 15
June 1 and December 1
May 15 and November 15
January 1 and July 1
June 1 and December 1
June 1 and December 1
Annual
Debt Service
Requirements
(In thousands)
23,750
117,500
155,000
101,250
144,375
411,250
73,750
143,750
76,875
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
(1) Our 2 3/8% Convertible Notes due 2024 matured and were redeemed on March 15, 2024.
(2) Our 5 7/8% Senior Notes due 2024 mature on November 15, 2024 and have been reclassified to “Current portion
of long-term debt and finance lease obligations” on our Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2023.
F-49
Table of Contents
DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
Materially all of our interest expense is being capitalized, including the interest expense associated with the
amortization of the debt discounts on our Convertible Notes. See Note 2 for further information.
Our ability to meet our debt service requirements will depend on, among other factors, the successful execution of our
business strategy, which is subject to uncertainties and contingencies beyond our control.
Other Long-Term Debt and Finance Lease Obligations
Other long-term debt and finance lease obligations consisted of the following:
Satellites and other finance lease obligations
Notes payable related to satellite vendor financing and other debt payable in installments
through 2032 with interest rates ranging from approximately 0% to 11.4%
Total
Less: current portion
Other long-term debt and finance lease obligations, net of current portion
Finance Lease Obligations
As of December 31,
2022
2023
(In thousands)
$
123,658
$
123,353
113,564
237,222
(107,717)
129,505
$
138,303
261,656
(104,011)
157,645
$
Anik F3. Anik F3, an FSS satellite, was launched and commenced commercial operation in April 2007. This satellite
was previously accounted for as a finance lease and depreciated over the term of the satellite service agreement. We
leased 100% of the Ku-band capacity on Anik F3 for an initial period of 15 years. During April 2022, we extended the
Anik F3 lease and as a result it is currently accounted for as an operating lease.
Nimiq 5. On May 19, 2019, we entered into an agreement pursuant to which, on September 10, 2019, the satellite
service agreement for Nimiq 5 was transferred to us. Nimiq 5 was launched in September 2009 and commenced
commercial operation at the 72.7 degree west longitude orbital location during October 2009. This satellite is
accounted for as a finance lease and depreciated over the term of the satellite service agreement. We lease 100% of the
capacity on Nimiq 5, and this lease expires in September 2024.
Ciel II. Ciel II, a Canadian DBS satellite, was launched in December 2008 and commenced commercial operation in
February 2009. This satellite was previously accounted for as a finance lease and depreciated over the term of the
satellite service agreement, however, as a result of an amendment, which was effective during the first quarter 2019,
Ciel II is now accounted for as an operating lease. We lease 100% of the capacity on Ciel II. The initial ten-year term
expired in January 2019 and as a result of an amendment, we renewed this lease through July 2023. As of July 2023,
we no longer lease the Ciel II satellite.
Dell Finance Lease. On July 17, 2020, we entered into a master agreement with Dell to lease certain components of
our 5G Network Deployment infrastructure, including certain equipment.
The summary of future maturities of our outstanding long-term debt as of December 31, 2023 is included in the
commitments table in Note 13.
F-50
Table of Contents
DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
10. Income Taxes and Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes
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 on our Consolidated Balance Sheets, as well as probable operating loss, tax
credit and other carryforwards. Deferred tax assets are offset by valuation allowances when we believe it is more
likely than not that net deferred tax assets will not be realized. We periodically evaluate our need for a valuation
allowance. Determining necessary valuation allowances requires us to make assessments about historical financial
information as well as the timing of future events, including the probability of expected future taxable income and
available tax planning opportunities.
We file consolidated tax returns in the United States. The income taxes of domestic and foreign subsidiaries not
included in the United States tax group are presented in our consolidated financial statements on a separate return basis
for each tax paying entity.
As of December 31, 2023, we had $267 million net operating loss carryforwards (“NOLs”) for federal income tax
purposes and $286 million of NOL carryforwards for state income tax purposes, which are partially offset by a
valuation allowance. In addition, there are $83 million of tax benefits related to credit carryforwards which are
partially offset by a valuation allowance. Portions of the state NOL and credit carryforwards expired in 2023.
The components of the (benefit from) provision for income taxes were as follows:
Current (benefit) provision:
Federal
State
Foreign
Total current (benefit) provision
Deferred (benefit) provision:
Federal
State
Increase (decrease) in valuation allowance
Total deferred (benefit) provision
Total (benefit) provision
2023
For the Years Ended December 31,
2022
(In thousands)
2021
$
$
(29,307) $
29,254
3,301
3,248
(293,666)
(152,725)
71,481
(374,910)
(371,662) $
(23,571) $
59,690
(7,118)
29,001
615,323
85,045
2,367
702,735
731,736
$
126,435
31,944
2,387
160,766
509,405
86,822
5,817
602,044
762,810
Our $1.5 billion loss of “Income (loss) before income taxes” on our Consolidated Statements of Operations and
Comprehensive Income (Loss) included income of $2 million related to our foreign operations.
The following table shows the principal reasons for the difference between the effective income tax rate and the
statutory federal tax rate:
Statutory rate
State income taxes, net of federal benefit
Rates different than statutory
Increase (decrease) in valuation allowance
Tax credits
Impairments
Other, net
Total (benefit) provision for income taxes
F-51
For the Years Ended December 31,
2021
2022
2023
% of pre-tax income/(loss)
(21.0)
(5.0)
0.1
4.8
(2.7)
0.7
(1.7)
(24.8)
21.0
3.1
—
—
(0.5)
—
-
23.6
21.0
2.9
—
0.2
(0.3)
—
(0.1)
23.7
Table of Contents
DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
Deferred taxes arise because of the differences in the book and tax bases of certain assets and liabilities. Significant
components of deferred tax assets and liabilities were as follows:
Deferred tax assets:
NOL, interest, credit and other carryforwards
Accrued and prepaid expenses
Stock-based compensation
Unrealized (gains) losses on available for sale and other investments (1)
Discount on convertible notes and convertible note hedge transaction, net
Deferred revenue
Total deferred tax assets
Valuation allowance
Deferred tax asset after valuation allowance
Deferred tax liabilities:
Depreciation
Unrealized (gains) losses on available for sale and other investments (1)
Regulatory authorizations and other intangible amortization
Bases differences in partnerships and cost method investments (2)
Total deferred tax liabilities
Net deferred tax asset (liability)
As of December 31,
2023
2022
(In thousands)
$
$
1,054,749
866,277
20,934
198,587
46,636
13,197
2,200,380
(153,453)
2,046,927
(1,554,517)
—
(3,869,784)
(1,179,888)
(6,604,189)
(4,557,262) $
$
445,389
672,854
23,738
—
64,643
6,903
1,213,527
(81,972)
1,131,555
(1,374,276)
(244,397)
(3,400,772)
(1,042,245)
(6,061,690)
(4,930,135)
(1) Included in this line item are deferred taxes related to, among other things, changes in the probability weighted
fair value of our option to purchase certain of T-Mobile’s 800 MHz spectrum licenses. See Note 5 for further
information.
(2) Included in this line item are deferred taxes related to, among other things, our noncontrolling investments in
Northstar Spectrum and SNR HoldCo, including deferred taxes created by the tax amortization of the Northstar
Licenses and SNR Licenses. See Note 2 for further information.
Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes
In addition to filing federal income tax returns, we and one or more of our subsidiaries file income tax returns in all
states that impose an income tax and a small number of foreign jurisdictions where we have immaterial operations.
We are subject to United States federal, state and local income tax examinations by tax authorities for the years
beginning in 2008 due to the carryover of previously incurred NOLs. We are currently under a federal income tax
examination for years 2008 through 2011, 2013 through 2016, and 2018 through 2019.
A reconciliation of the beginning and ending amount of unrecognized tax benefits included in “Long-term deferred
revenue and other long-term liabilities” on our Consolidated Balance Sheets was as follows:
Unrecognized tax benefit
Balance as of beginning of period
Additions based on tax positions related to the current year
Additions based on tax positions related to prior years
Reductions based on tax positions related to prior years
Reductions based on tax positions related to settlements with taxing authorities
Reductions based on tax positions related to the lapse of the statute of limitations
Balance as of end of period
F-52
2021
For the Years Ended December 31,
2022
2023
(In thousands)
$ 388,837
35,180
14,723
(7,100)
—
—
$ 431,640
$ 378,467
303
12,095
(1,400)
—
(628)
$ 388,837
$ 431,640
3,601
9,292
(7,219)
(834)
(352)
$ 436,128
Table of Contents
DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
We have $366 million in unrecognized tax benefits that, if recognized, could favorably affect our effective tax rate.
We do not expect any material portion of this amount to be paid or settled within the next 12 months. Accrued interest
and penalties on uncertain tax positions are recorded as a component of “Interest expense, net of amounts capitalized”
and “Other, net,” respectively, on our Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss).
During the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, we recorded $39 million, $22 million and $16 million in
net interest and penalty expense to earnings, respectively. Accrued interest and penalties were $164 million and $126
million at December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. The above table excludes these amounts.
11. Employee Benefit Plans
Employee Stock Purchase Plan
Our employees may participate in the EchoStar employee stock purchase plan (the “ESPP”), in which EchoStar is
authorized to issue up to 5.0 million shares of Class A common stock. At December 31, 2023, EchoStar had 0.5
million shares of Class A common stock which remain available for issuance under the ESPP. Substantially all full-
time employees who have been employed by EchoStar for at least one calendar quarter are eligible to participate in the
ESPP. Employee stock purchases are made through payroll deductions. Under the terms of the ESPP, employees may
not deduct an amount which would permit such employee to purchase EchoStar’s capital stock under all of EchoStar’s
stock purchase plans at a rate which would exceed $25,000 in fair value of capital stock in any one year. The purchase
price of the stock is 85% of the closing price of EchoStar’s Class A common stock on the last business day of each
calendar quarter in which such shares of EchoStar’s Class A common stock are deemed sold to an employee under the
ESPP.
401(k) Employee Savings Plans
EchoStar sponsors a 401(k) Employee Savings Plan (the “DISH Network 401(k) Plan”) for our eligible employees.
Voluntary employee contributions to the DISH Network 401(k) Plan may be matched 50% by EchoStar, subject to a
maximum annual contribution of $2,500 per employee. Forfeitures of unvested participant balances which are retained
by the DISH Network 401(k) Plan may be used to fund matching and discretionary contributions. EchoStar’s Board of
Directors may also authorize an annual discretionary contribution to the DISH Network 401(k) Plan, subject to the
maximum deductible limit provided by the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. These contributions may be
made in cash or in EchoStar’s stock.
The following table summarizes the expense associated with our matching contributions and discretionary
contributions:
Expense Recognized Related to the 401(k) Plan
Matching contributions, net of forfeitures
Discretionary stock contributions, net of forfeitures
12. Stock-Based Compensation
Merger with EchoStar
$
$
For the Years Ended December 31,
2021
2022
2023
(In thousands)
$
14,532
12,800
$
8,912
70
$
14,564
$
26,383
Upon the completion of the Merger with EchoStar, EchoStar adopted all of DISH Network’s stock compensation
plans. In addition, in connection with the Merger, EchoStar assumed the share reserve under each of the DISH
Network Corporation 2019 Stock Incentive Plan and the Amended and Restated DISH Network Corporation 2001
Nonemployee Director Stock Option Plan to employees and directors who were employed by, or provided services to,
DISH Network immediately prior to the effective time of the Merger.
F-53
Table of Contents
DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
At the Effective Time, each DISH Network stock option outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time was
converted automatically into an EchoStar stock option on substantially the same terms and conditions (including, if
applicable, with respect to any performance-based vesting, subject to certain adjustments that may be made pursuant
to the terms of the Amended Merger Agreement and to the extent necessary to reflect the consummation of the
Merger and the other transactions contemplated by the Amended Merger Agreement), with respect to a number of
shares of EchoStar Class A Common Stock equal to (i) the number of shares of DISH Network Common Stock
subject to the corresponding DISH Network stock option immediately prior to the Effective Time, multiplied by (ii)
the Exchange Ratio (with the resulting number rounded down to the nearest whole share), at an exercise price
(rounded up to the nearest whole cent) equal to the exercise price of the corresponding DISH Network stock option
immediately prior to the Effective Time divided by the Exchange Ratio.
At the Effective Time, each DISH Network restricted stock unit award outstanding immediately prior to the
Effective Time was converted automatically into an EchoStar restricted stock unit award on substantially the same
terms and conditions, with respect to a number of shares of EchoStar Class A Common Stock equal to (i) the
number of shares of DISH Network Common Stock subject to the corresponding DISH Network restricted stock
unit award immediately prior to the Effective Time, multiplied by (ii) the Exchange Ratio (with the resulting
number rounded to the nearest whole share).
Stock Incentive Plans
All information below includes the Merger conversion discussed above.
EchoStar maintains stock incentive plans to attract and retain officers, directors and key employees. Our employees
participate in the EchoStar stock incentive plans. Stock awards under these plans include both performance/market
and non-performance based stock incentives. As of December 31, 2023, EchoStar had outstanding under these plans
stock options to acquire 9.9 million shares of EchoStar’s Class A common stock and 49 thousand restricted stock units
and awards associated with our employees. Stock options granted on or prior to December 31, 2023 were granted with
exercise prices equal to or greater than the market value of EchoStar’s Class A common stock at the date of grant and
with a maximum term of approximately ten years. EchoStar accounts for forfeitures as they are incurred. While
historically EchoStar has issued stock awards subject to vesting, typically at the rate of 20% per year, certain stock
awards have been granted with immediate vesting and certain other stock awards vest only upon the achievement of
certain EchoStar-specific subscriber, operational and/or financial goals. In addition, the Ergen 2020 Performance
Award is subject to the achievement of specified EchoStar Class A common stock price targets. As of December 31,
2023, EchoStar had 17.2 million shares of its Class A common stock available for future grant under the DISH
Network stock incentive plans.
Exchange offer. On June 24, 2022, DISH Network commenced a tender offer to our eligible employees (which
excludes our co-founders and the independent members of our Board of Directors, at that time) to exchange eligible
stock options (which excludes the Ergen 2020 Performance Award) for new options as detailed in our Schedule TO
filed June 23, 2022 with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Exchange Offer”), to, among other things,
further align our employee incentives with the current market. The Exchange Offer expired on July 22, 2022. As a
result of the Exchange Offer, the exercise price of approximately 13 million stock options, affecting approximately 700
eligible employees, was adjusted during the third quarter of 2022 to $20.00.
F-54
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DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
Stock Award Activity
EchoStar stock option activity associated with our employees was as follows:
For the Year Ended December 31, 2023
Total options outstanding, beginning of period
Granted
Exercised
Forfeited and cancelled (1)
Total options outstanding, end of period
Performance/market based options outstanding, end
of period (2)
Exercisable at end of period
Options
10,494,032
790,526
$
$
— $
(1,397,228) $
9,887,330
$
4,631,083
2,893,380
$
$
Weighted-
Average
Exercise
Price
Aggregate
intrinsic value
(In thousands)
Weighted-
Average
Remaining
Contractual
Life
74.66
28.24
—
78.85
70.36 $
84.20
65.85 $
—
—
7.21
6.85
(1) Includes the cancellation of the 2013 LTIP. See discussion below.
(2) These stock options are included in the caption “Total options outstanding, end of period.” See discussion of the
2017 LTIP, 2019 LTIP, 2022 Incentive Plan, Ergen 2020 Performance Award and Other Employee Performance
Awards below.
We realized tax benefits from stock awards exercised as follows:
Tax benefit from stock awards exercised
$
1,384
$
573
$
4,153
2023
For the Years Ended December 31,
2022
(In thousands)
2021
EchoStar restricted stock unit and award activity associated with our employees was as follows:
For the Year Ended December 31, 2023
Restricted
Stock
Units/Awards
Weighted-
Average
Grant Date
Fair Value
$
502,804
$
5,776
(275,100) $
(184,835) $
$
48,645
101.03
17.50
93.32
110.50
98.78
Total restricted stock units/awards outstanding, beginning of period
Granted
Vested
Forfeited and cancelled
Total restricted stock units/awards outstanding, end of period
F-55
Table of Contents
DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
The following table summarizes additional information about EchoStar stock options and restricted stock units and
awards associated with our employees:
Stock options:
Weighted-average grant date fair value of options granted
Intrinsic value of options exercised (1)
Restricted stock units and awards:
Weighted-average grant date fair value of units and awards granted
Fair value of units and rewards vested (1)
For the Years Ended December 31,
2023
2021
2022
(In thousands, except per share amounts)
$
$
$
$
28.24
$
— $
17.50
5,612
$
$
63.90
98
88.39
2,212
$
$
$
$
112.76
16,029
120.86
980
(1) Intrinsic value and fair value is based on the closing market price of EchoStar’s Class A Common Stock on
December 31, 2023.
Long-Term Performance-Based Plans
2013 LTIP. During 2013, EchoStar adopted a long-term, performance-based stock incentive plan (the “2013 LTIP”).
The 2013 LTIP provides stock options and restricted stock units in combination, which vest based on certain EchoStar-
specific subscriber and financial performance conditions. Exercise of the stock awards is contingent on achieving
these performance conditions by September 30, 2022. This plan expired on January 1, 2023 which resulted in the
cancellation of 276,147 stock options and 137,449 restricted stock units and awards.
2017 LTIP. On December 2, 2016, EchoStar adopted a long-term, performance-based stock incentive plan (the “2017
LTIP”). The 2017 LTIP provided stock options, which were subject to vesting based on certain EchoStar-specific
subscriber and financial performance conditions. Awards were initially granted under the 2017 LTIP as of January 1,
2017. Exercise of the stock awards was contingent on achieving these performance conditions by December 31, 2020,
however, none of the performance conditions were achieved. This plan will expire on January 1, 2027 which as of
December 31, 2023, would result in the cancellation of 471,727 stock options.
2019 LTIP. On August 17, 2018, EchoStar adopted a long-term, performance-based stock incentive plan (the “2019
LTIP”). The 2019 LTIP provides stock options, which vest based on certain EchoStar-specific subscriber, operational
and/or financial performance conditions. Vesting of the stock awards is contingent on achieving these conditions by
December 31, 2023.
Although no awards vest until EchoStar attains the performance conditions described above, compensation related to
the 2019 LTIP will be recorded based on EchoStar’s assessment of the probability of meeting the performance
conditions. If the performance conditions are probable of being achieved, we will begin recognizing the associated
non-cash, stock-based compensation expense on our Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive
Income (Loss) over the estimated period to achieve the performance condition.
During the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, EchoStar determined that 85%, 89% and 90%,
respectively, of the 2019 LTIP performance conditions were probable of achievement. As a result, non-cash, stock-
based compensation expense was recorded for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, as indicated in the
table below titled “Non-Cash, Stock-Based Compensation Expense Recognized.” As of December 31, 2023, 2022 and
2021, approximately 78%, 75% and 69%, respectively, of the 2019 LTIP awards had vested. No additional awards
will vest in future periods for the 2019 LTIP.
2022 Incentive Plan. On December 30, 2021, EchoStar adopted a performance-based incentive plan (the “2022
Incentive Plan”). The 2022 Incentive Plan provides stock options, which vest based on certain EchoStar-specific
operational and/or financial performance conditions. Awards were initially granted under the 2022 Incentive Plan as
of February 1, 2022. Exercise of the stock awards is contingent on achieving these conditions by December 31, 2026.
F-56
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DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
Although no awards vest until EchoStar attains the performance conditions described above, compensation related to
the 2022 Incentive Plan will be recorded based on EchoStar’s assessment of the probability of meeting the
performance conditions. If the performance conditions are probable of being achieved, we will begin recognizing the
associated non-cash, stock-based compensation expense on our Consolidated Statements of Operations and
Comprehensive Income (Loss) over the estimated period to achieve the performance condition.
During the year ended December 31, 2023, EchoStar determined that 100% of the 2022 Incentive Plan performance
conditions were probable of achievement. As a result, non-cash, stock-based compensation expense was recorded for
the years ended December 31, 2023 as indicated in the table below titled “Non-Cash, Stock-Based Compensation
Expense Recognized.” As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, approximately 17% and 33%, respectively, of the 2022
Incentive Plan awards had vested.
Ergen 2020 Performance Award. On November 4, 2020, our Executive Compensation Committee of the Board of
Directors, at that time, approved an award to Charles W. Ergen, our Chairman, of long-term performance-based
options (the “Ergen 2020 Performance Award”) to purchase up to 4,385,962 shares of EchoStar’s Class A common
stock. The award is subject to the achievement of specified EchoStar Class A common stock price targets during the
approximate ten-year period following the date of grant. The award was granted on November 6, 2020 and will expire
on February 6, 2031.
Although no awards will vest until the market conditions are satisfied, as of December 31, 2020, we began recording
non-cash, stock-based compensation expense for each vesting tranche based on the estimated achievement date of the
specified stock price target. The valuation and probability of achievement for each tranche is determined using a
Monte Carlo simulation. The same Monte Carlo simulation is used as the basis for determining the expected
achievement date. As the probability of achievement is factored in as part of the Monte Carlo simulation, the expense
for these tranches will be recognized concurrently over each tranche’s estimated achievement date even if some or all
of the options never vest. If the related milestone for a tranche is achieved earlier than is expected, all unamortized
expense for such tranche will be recognized immediately. Non-cash, stock-based compensation expense was recorded
for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, as indicated in the table below titled “Non-Cash, Stock-Based
Compensation Expense Recognized.” As of December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, approximately 20% of the Ergen
2020 Performance Award awards had vested.
Other Employee Performance Awards. In addition to the above long-term, performance stock incentive plans,
EchoStar has other stock awards that vest based on certain other EchoStar-specific subscriber, operational and/or
financial performance conditions. Exercise of these stock awards is contingent on achieving certain performance
conditions.
Additional compensation related to these awards will be recorded based on EchoStar’s assessment of the probability of
meeting the remaining performance conditions. If the remaining performance conditions are probable of being
achieved, we will begin recognizing the associated non-cash, stock-based compensation expense on our Consolidated
Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss) over the estimated period to achieve the performance
condition. See the table below titled “Estimated Remaining Non-Cash, Stock-Based Compensation Expense.”
Although no awards vest until the performance conditions are attained, EchoStar determined that certain performance
conditions described above were probable of achievement and, as a result, we recorded non-cash, stock-based
compensation expense for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, as indicated in the table below titled
“Non-Cash, Stock-Based Compensation Expense Recognized.”
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DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
The non-cash, stock-based compensation expense associated with these awards for our employees was as follows:
Non-Cash, Stock-Based Compensation Expense Recognized (1)
2022 Incentive Plan
2019 LTIP
2013 LTIP
Ergen 2020 Performance Award
Other employee performance awards
Total non-cash, stock-based compensation expense recognized for
performance based awards
$
2021
2023
For the Years Ended December 31,
2022
(In thousands)
19,088
(97)
—
12,308
4,502
7,346
(1,903)
—
12,308
462
$
$
—
489
(13,610)
34,513
9,033
$
18,213
$
35,801
$
30,425
(1) “Non-Cash, Stock-Based Compensation Expense Recognized” includes actual forfeitures.
Estimated Remaining Non-Cash, Stock-
Based Compensation Expense
2022 Incentive
Plan
2019 LTIP
Ergen 2020
Performance
Award
Other
Employee
Performance
Awards
Expense estimated to be recognized during 2024
Estimated contingent expense subsequent to 2024
Total estimated remaining expense over the term of the plan $
$
2,119 $
1,114
3,233 $
(In thousands)
— $
—
— $
10,816 $
16,913
27,729 $
—
—
—
Given the competitive nature of EchoStar’s business, small variations in subscriber churn, gross new subscriber
activation rates and certain other factors can significantly impact subscriber growth. Consequently, while it was
determined that achievement of certain other EchoStar-specific subscriber, operational and/or financial performance
conditions were not probable as of December 31, 2023, that assessment could change in the future.
Of the 9.9 million stock options and 49 thousand restricted stock units and awards outstanding under the EchoStar
stock incentive plans associated with our employees as of December 31, 2023, the following awards were outstanding
pursuant to the performance-based stock incentive plans:
Performance Based Stock Options
2022 Incentive Plan
2019 LTIP
2017 LTIP
Ergen 2020 Performance Award
Total
As of December 31, 2023
Number of
Awards
Weighted-
Average
Grant Price
401,828
248,758
471,727
3,508,770
4,631,083
$
$
$
$
$
50.78
60.04
164.20
78.98
84.20
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DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
Stock-Based Compensation
Total non-cash, stock-based compensation expense for all of our employees is shown in the following table for the
years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021 and was allocated to the same expense categories as the base
compensation for such employees:
Cost of services
Selling, general and administrative
Total non-cash, stock-based compensation
$
$
For the Years Ended December 31,
2022
2021
2023
(In thousands)
6,511
$
64,939
71,450
2,609
33,534
36,143
$
$
$
4,365
47,315
51,680
As of December 31, 2023, our total unrecognized compensation cost related to our non-performance based unvested
stock awards was $50 million and will be recognized over a weighted-average period of approximately 8.6 years.
Share-based compensation expense is recognized based on stock awards ultimately expected to vest.
Valuation
The fair value of each stock option granted (excluding the Ergen 2020 Performance Award) for the years ended
December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021 was estimated at the date of the grant using a Black-Scholes option valuation
model with the following assumptions:
Stock Options
Risk-free interest rate
Volatility factor
Expected term of options in years
Fair value of options granted
2023
3.58 % -
34.30 % -
-
- $
4.1
7.40
$
4.61 %
41.25 %
6.6
7.77
$
2022
1.35 % -
32.67 % -
-
- $
4.1
5.97
4.02 %
34.84 %
6.0
9.27
$
2021
0.48 % -
29.91 % -
-
- $
4.0
6.20
1.11 %
34.51 %
5.9
8.32
For the Years Ended December 31,
While EchoStar currently does not intend to declare dividends on its Class A common stock, EchoStar may elect to do
so from time to time. Accordingly, the dividend yield percentage used in the Black-Scholes option valuation model
was set at zero for all periods. The Black-Scholes option valuation model was developed for use in estimating the fair
value of traded stock options which have no vesting restrictions and are fully transferable. Consequently, our estimate
of fair value may differ from other valuation models. Further, the Black-Scholes option valuation model requires the
input of highly subjective assumptions. Changes in these subjective input assumptions can materially affect the fair
value estimate.
We will continue to evaluate the assumptions used to derive the estimated fair value of EchoStar’s stock options as
new events or changes in circumstances become known.
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DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
13. Commitments and Contingencies
Commitments
As of December 31, 2023, future maturities of our long-term debt, finance lease and contractual obligations are
summarized as follows:
Long-term debt obligations
Interest expense on long-term
debt
Finance lease obligations (1)
Interest expense on finance
lease obligations (1)
Other long-term obligations (2)
Operating lease obligations (1)
Purchase obligations
Total
Total
2024
2025
$
21,163,274
$ 2,984,970
$ 1,985,772
2026
(In thousands)
$ 7,669,305
2027
2028
Thereafter
$ 3,511,107
$ 3,502,529
$ 1,509,591
Payments due by period
4,490,593
123,658
1,237,046
56,459
1,106,622
30,381
1,105,276
34,290
707,126
2,528
294,971
—
39,552
—
16,969
13,406,816
5,399,528
2,086,259
46,687,097
9,614
2,886,529
423,347
2,052,898
$ 9,650,863
5,011
2,198,229
463,276
27,268
$ 5,816,559
2,298
1,913,876
495,472
5,756
$ 11,226,273
46
1,158,515
495,786
337
$ 5,875,445
—
1,013,256
454,612
—
$ 5,265,368
—
4,236,411
3,067,035
—
$ 8,852,589
$
(1) See Note 8 for further information on leases.
(2) Represents minimum contractual commitments related to communication tower obligations, certain 5G
Network Deployment commitments, obligations under the NSA with AT&T and the MNSA with T-Mobile,
certain wireless device purchases and marketing obligations, radios, software and integration services and
satellite related and other obligations.
In certain circumstances the dates on which we are obligated to make these payments could be delayed.
The table above does not include $436 million of liabilities associated with unrecognized tax benefits that were
accrued, as discussed in Note 10 and are included on our Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2023. We
do not expect any portion of this amount to be paid or settled within the next 12 months.
The table above does not include all potential expenses we expect to incur for our 5G Network Deployment. We
currently expect capital expenditures, excluding capitalized interest, for our 5G Network Deployment to be
approximately $10 billion, including amounts incurred in 2021, 2022 and 2023, of which approximately $1.557 billion
is included in the table above in “Other long-term obligations.”
Agreements in Connection with the Asset Purchase Agreement
On July 1, 2020, we completed the Boost Mobile Acquisition. In connection with the closing of the Boost Mobile
Acquisition, we and T-Mobile entered into, among other things, a spectrum purchase agreement for the option to
purchase all of Sprint’s 800 MHz spectrum licenses for approximately $3.59 billion (“License Purchase Agreement”).
The $3.59 billion is not included in “Other long-term obligations” above. If we elect to not exercise the option to
purchase the 800 MHz spectrum licenses pursuant to the License Purchase Agreement or it expires, we were
potentially subject to pay T-Mobile a fee of approximately $72 million per the License Purchase Agreement, under
certain circumstances. In conjunction with the Amendment that modifies the License Purchase Agreement, discussed
below, the $72 million fee has been superseded by the Upfront Payment.
On June 30, 2023, the DOJ provided notice to the District Court that, pursuant to its discretion under the Final
Judgment, it granted a 60-day extension of the deadline for T-Mobile to divest the 800 MHz spectrum licenses, which
expired on August 30, 2023.
On August 17, 2023, we filed a petition with the District Court seeking an extension of the deadline for T-Mobile to
divest the 800 MHz spectrum licenses.
On October 15, 2023, we and T-Mobile entered into the Amendment that, among other things, provides the Extension.
In connection with the Extension, we agreed to make an Upfront Payment of $100 million to T-Mobile.
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DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
The Amendment also resolves all outstanding disputes between the parties with respect to the License Purchase
Agreement. On October 25, 2023, we paid the $100 million Upfront Payment to T-Mobile.
The Amendment has been approved by the DOJ in accordance with the Stipulation and Order filed in the District
Court on July 26, 2019 and the Final Judgment entered by the District Court on April 1, 2020. The Amendment
became effective upon the District Court entering the Amended Final Judgment on October 23, 2023.
The Upfront Payment is fully creditable against the purchase price in the event we exercise our option to purchase the
800 MHz spectrum licenses from T-Mobile. T-Mobile has the right (but not the obligation) to pursue an alternative
offer between now and April 1, 2024 provided that we retain the first right to purchase the spectrum before April 1,
2024. If we elect to not exercise the option to purchase the 800 MHz spectrum licenses pursuant to the License
Purchase Agreement or it expires, T-Mobile will retain the $100 million Upfront Payment per the Amendment.
Wireless – 5G Network Deployment
We have invested a total of over $30 billion in Wireless spectrum licenses, which includes over $10 billion in initial
noncontrolling investments in certain entities. The $30 billion of investments related to Wireless spectrum licenses
does not include $9 billion of capitalized interest related to the carrying value of such licenses. See Note 2 for further
information on capitalized interest.
We will need to raise additional capital in the future, which may not be available on favorable terms, 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
profitably deploy these Wireless spectrum licenses, which may affect the carrying amount of these assets and our
future financial condition or results of operations.
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DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
Wireless Spectrum Licenses
These Wireless spectrum licenses are subject to certain build-out requirements, as well as certain renewal requirements
that are summarized in the table below:
Carrying
Amount
(In thousands)
Build-Out Deadlines
Interim
Final
Expiration
Date
$
Owned:
DBS Licenses (1)
700 MHz Licenses (2)
AWS-4 Licenses (2)
H Block Licenses (2)
600 MHz Licenses
MVDDS Licenses (1)
LMDS Licenses (1)
28 GHz Licenses
24 GHz Licenses
37 GHz, 39 GHz and 47 GHz Licenses
3550-3650 MHz Licenses
3.7-3.98 GHz Licenses
3.45–3.55 GHz Licenses
1695-1710 MHz, 1755-1780 MHz, and 2155-2180 MHz (2)
AWS-3 (8)
Subtotal
Noncontrolling Investments:
SNR (9)
677,409
711,871
1,940,000
1,671,506
6,213,335
24,000
—
2,883
11,772
202,533
912,939
2,969
July 23, 2029 (6)
7,327,989 May 4, 2026 (6)
972
5,618,930
25,319,108
4,271,459
Capitalized Interest (10)
Total as of December 31, 2023
8,523,682
38,114,249
$
June 14, 2025 (3)
June 14, 2025 (3)
June 14, 2025 (4)
June 14, 2025 (5)
June 2033
June 2033
June 2033
June 2029
July 2024
September 2028
October 2029
December 11, 2029 (6) December 2029
October 2, 2029 (6)
June 4, 2030 (6)
March 12, 2031 (6)
July 23, 2033 (6)
May 4, 2030 (6)
October 2025 (7)
June 2030
March 2031
July 2036
May 2037
March 2026
October 2025 (7)
October 2025 (7)
October 2025 (7)
(1) The build-out deadlines for these licenses have been met.
(2) The interim build-out deadlines for these licenses are in the past.
(3) In a July 14, 2023 filing to the FCC, we certified that we were offering 5G broadband service to at least 70% of
the United States population as of June 14, 2023, and certified to meeting other FCC related commitments. As a
result of us providing 5G broadband service to over 50% of the U.S. population by June 14, 2023, the final build-
out deadlines have been extended automatically to June 14, 2025. For these licenses, we must offer 5G broadband
service to at least 70% of the population in each Economic Area (which is a service area established by the FCC).
On September 29, 2023, the FCC confirmed we have 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 confirmed using
the drive test methodology agreed to and approved by the FCC and overseen by an independent monitor.
(4) In a July 14, 2023 filing to the FCC, we certified that we were offering 5G broadband service to at least 70% of
the United States population as of June 14, 2023, and certified to meeting other FCC related commitments. As a
result of us providing 5G broadband service to over 50% of the U.S. population by June 14, 2023, the final build-
out deadlines have been extended automatically to June 14, 2025. For these licenses, we must offer 5G broadband
service to at least 75% of the population in each Economic Area (which is a service area established by the FCC).
On September 29, 2023, the FCC confirmed we have 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 confirmed using
the drive test methodology agreed to and approved by the FCC and overseen by an independent monitor.
(5) For these licenses, we must offer 5G broadband service to at least 75% of the population in each Partial Economic
Area (which is a service area established by the FCC) by this date. We have also acquired certain additional 600
MHz licenses through private transactions. These licenses are currently subject to their original FCC buildout
deadlines.
(6) There are a variety of build-out options and associated build-out metrics associated with these licenses.
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DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
(7) For these licenses, we must provide reliable signal coverage and offer service to at least 75% of the population of
each license area by this date. The AWS-3 interim build-out requirement was not met and as a result, the AWS-3
expiration date and the AWS-3 final build-out requirement have been accelerated by two years (from October
2027 to October 2025) for each AWS-3 License area for which we did not meet the requirement.
(8) On October 12, 2023, the FCC consented to the sale of Northstar Manager’s ownership interests in Northstar
Spectrum, which we purchased for a total of approximately $109 million. This purchase resulted in the
elimination of all of our noncontrolling investment as it related to Northstar Spectrum as of the purchase date and
we continue to consolidate the Northstar Entities as wholly-owned subsidiaries.
(9) Subsequent to December 31, 2023, the FCC consented to the sale of SNR Wireless Management’s ownership
interests in SNR HoldCo, which was purchased by our parent’s direct wholly-owned subsidiary EchoStar SNR
HoldCo L.L.C. for a total of approximately $442 million on February 16, 2024. This purchase resulted in the
conversion of our outstanding redeemable noncontrolling interest as it relates to SNR HoldCo to noncontrolling
interest, which is now held by our parent, EchoStar, as of the purchase date.
(10) See Note 2 for further information.
Commercialization of Our Wireless Spectrum Licenses and Related Assets. We plan to commercialize our Wireless
spectrum licenses through our 5G Network Deployment. We have committed to deploy our 5G Network capable of
serving increasingly larger portions of the U.S. population at different deadlines, including 20% of the U.S. population by
June 2022 and 70% of the U.S. population by June 2023. If by June 2023, we are offering 5G broadband service to at
least 50% of the U.S. population but less than 70% of the U.S. population, the 70% June 2023 deadline will be extended
automatically to June 2025; however, as a result, we may, under certain circumstances, potentially be subject to certain
penalties. On June 14, 2022, we announced we had successfully reached our 20% population coverage requirement. In
addition, we announced and certified to the FCC that as of June 14, 2023, we offer 5G broadband service to over 73%
of the U.S. population, or more than 246 million Americans nationwide. On September 29, 2023, the FCC confirmed
we have 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 confirmed using the drive test methodology agreed to and approved by the
FCC and overseen by an independent monitor. We now have the largest commercial deployment of 5G VoNR in the
world reaching approximately 200 million Americans and 5G broadband service reaching approximately 250 million
Americans. We currently expect capital expenditures, excluding capitalized interest, for our 5G Network Deployment
to be approximately $10 billion, including amounts incurred in 2021, 2022 and 2023. See Note 2 for further
information.
As a result of us providing 5G broadband service to over 50% of the U.S. population by June 14, 2023, the final build-
out deadlines have been extended automatically to June 14, 2025 for us to offer 5G broadband service to at least 70%
of the population in each Economic Area for the 700 MHz Licenses and AWS-4 Licenses and at least 75% of the
population in each Economic Area for the H Block 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 plan to raise additional capital, which may not be available on favorable terms. We may also determine that
additional wireless spectrum licenses may be required for our 5G Network Deployment and to compete effectively
with other wireless service providers.
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DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
DISH Network Noncontrolling Investments in the Northstar Entities and the SNR Entities Related to AWS-3 Wireless
Spectrum Licenses
Noncontrolling Investments
Recent Developments. On October 12, 2023, the FCC consented to the sale of Northstar Manager’s ownership interests
in Northstar Spectrum, which we purchased for a total of approximately $109 million. This purchase resulted in the
elimination of all of our redeemable noncontrolling interest as it related to Northstar Spectrum as of the purchase date
and we continue to consolidate the Northstar Entities as wholly-owned subsidiaries. Subsequent to December 31,
2023, the FCC consented to the sale of SNR Management’s ownership interests in SNR HoldCo, which was purchased
by our parent’s direct wholly-owned subsidiary EchoStar SNR HoldCo L.L.C. for a total of approximately $442
million on February 16, 2024. This purchase resulted in the conversion of our outstanding redeemable noncontrolling
interest as it relates to SNR HoldCo to noncontrolling interest, which is now held by our parent, EchoStar, as of the
purchase date.
During 2015, through our wholly-owned subsidiaries American II and American III, we initially made over $10 billion
in certain noncontrolling investments in Northstar Spectrum, the parent company of Northstar Wireless, and in SNR
HoldCo, the parent company of SNR Wireless, respectively. Under the applicable accounting guidance in ASC 810,
Northstar Spectrum and SNR HoldCo are considered VIEs and, based on the characteristics of the structure of these
entities and in accordance with the applicable accounting guidance, we consolidate these entities into our financial
statements. See Note 2 for further information.
Northstar Investment. As of 2015, through American II, we owned a noncontrolling interest in Northstar Spectrum,
which was comprised of 85% of the Class B Common Interests and 100% of the Class A Preferred Interests of
Northstar Spectrum. Northstar Manager is the sole manager of Northstar Spectrum and owns a controlling interest in
Northstar Spectrum, which was comprised of 15% of the Class B Common Interests of Northstar Spectrum. As of
March 31, 2018, the total equity contributions from American II and Northstar Manager to Northstar Spectrum were
approximately $7.621 billion and $133 million, respectively. As of March 31, 2018, the total loans from American II
to Northstar Wireless under the Northstar Credit Agreement (as defined below) for payments to the FCC related to the
Northstar Licenses (as defined below) were approximately $500 million. See below for further information.
Northstar Purchase Agreement. On December 30, 2020, through our wholly-owned subsidiary American II, we
entered into a Purchase Agreement (the “Northstar Purchase Agreement”) with Northstar Manager and Northstar
Spectrum, pursuant to which American II purchased 80% of Northstar Manager’s Class B Common Interests in
Northstar Spectrum (the “Northstar Transaction”) for a purchase price of approximately $312 million. As a result of
the Northstar Transaction, through American II, we hold 97% of the Class B Common Interests in Northstar Spectrum
and Northstar Manager holds 3% of the Class B Common Interests in Northstar Spectrum. Other than the change in
ownership percentage of Northstar Spectrum, the Northstar Transaction did not modify or amend in any way the
existing arrangements between or among the Northstar parties.
SNR Investment. As of 2015, through American III, we own a noncontrolling interest in SNR HoldCo, which is
comprised of 85% of the Class B Common Interests and 100% of the Class A Preferred Interests of SNR HoldCo.
SNR Management is the sole manager of SNR HoldCo and owns a controlling interest in SNR HoldCo, which is
comprised of 15% of the Class B Common Interests of SNR HoldCo. As of March 31, 2018, the total equity
contributions from American III and SNR Management to SNR HoldCo were approximately $5.590 billion and $93
million, respectively. As of March 31, 2018, the total loans from American III to SNR Wireless under the SNR Credit
Agreement (as defined below) for payments to the FCC related to the SNR Licenses (as defined below) were
approximately $500 million. See below for further information.
F-64
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AWS-3 Auction
DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
Northstar Wireless and SNR Wireless each filed applications with the FCC to participate in Auction 97 (the “AWS-3
Auction”) for the purpose of acquiring certain AWS-3 Licenses. Each of Northstar Wireless and SNR Wireless applied
to receive bidding credits of 25% as designated entities under applicable FCC rules. Northstar Wireless was the
winning bidder for AWS-3 Licenses with gross winning bid amounts totaling approximately $7.845 billion, which
after taking into account a 25% bidding credit, was approximately $5.884 billion. SNR Wireless was the winning
bidder for AWS-3 Licenses with gross winning bid amounts totaling approximately $5.482 billion, which after taking
into account a 25% bidding credit, was approximately $4.112 billion. In addition to the net winning bids, SNR
Wireless made a bid withdrawal payment of approximately $8 million.
FCC Order and October 2015 Arrangements. On August 18, 2015, the FCC released a Memorandum Opinion and
Order, FCC 15-104 (the “Order”) in which the FCC determined, among other things, that DISH Network has a
controlling interest in, and is an affiliate of, Northstar Wireless and SNR Wireless, and therefore DISH Network’s
revenues should be attributed to them, which in turn makes Northstar Wireless and SNR Wireless ineligible to receive
the 25% bidding credits (approximately $1.961 billion for Northstar Wireless and $1.370 billion for SNR Wireless).
On November 23, 2020, the FCC released a Memorandum Opinion and Order on Remand, FCC 20-160, that found
that Northstar Wireless and SNR Wireless are not eligible for bidding credits based on the FCC’s determination that
they remain under DISH Network’s de facto control. Northstar Wireless and SNR Wireless have appealed the FCC’s
order to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. On June 21, 2022, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of
Columbia issued an Opinion rejecting this challenge. On January 17, 2023, Northstar Wireless filed a petition for a
writ of certiorari asking the United States Supreme Court to hear a further appeal, but that petition was denied on June
30, 2023.
Letters Exchanged between Northstar Wireless and the FCC Wireless Bureau. As outlined in letters exchanged
between Northstar Wireless and the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau of the FCC (the “FCC Wireless Bureau”),
Northstar Wireless paid the gross winning bid amounts for 261 AWS-3 Licenses (the “Northstar Licenses”) totaling
approximately $5.619 billion through the application of funds already on deposit with the FCC. Northstar Wireless
also notified the FCC that it would not be paying the gross winning bid amounts for 84 AWS-3 Licenses totaling
approximately $2.226 billion. As a result of the nonpayment of those gross winning bid amounts, the FCC retained
those licenses and Northstar Wireless owed the FCC an additional interim payment of approximately $334 million (the
“Northstar Interim Payment”), which is equal to 15% of $2.226 billion. The Northstar Interim Payment was recorded
as an expense during the fourth quarter of 2015. Northstar Wireless immediately satisfied the Northstar Interim
Payment through the application of funds already on deposit with the FCC and an additional loan from American II of
approximately $69 million. As a result, the FCC will not deem Northstar Wireless to be a “current defaulter” under
applicable FCC rules.
In addition, the FCC Wireless Bureau acknowledged that Northstar Wireless’ nonpayment of those gross winning bid
amounts does not constitute action involving gross misconduct, misrepresentation or bad faith. Therefore, the FCC
concluded that such nonpayment will not affect the eligibility of Northstar Wireless, its investors (including DISH
Network) or their respective affiliates to participate in future spectrum auctions (including Auction 1000 and any re-
auction of the AWS-3 licenses retained by the FCC). At this time, DISH Network (through itself, a subsidiary or
another entity in which it may hold a direct or indirect interest) expects to participate in any re-auction of those AWS-3
licenses.
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NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
If the winning bids from re-auction or other award of the AWS-3 licenses retained by the FCC are greater than or equal
to the winning bids of Northstar Wireless, no additional amounts will be owed to the FCC. However, if those winning
bids are less than the winning bids of Northstar Wireless, then Northstar Wireless will be responsible for the difference
less any overpayment of the Northstar Interim Payment (which will be recalculated as 15% of the winning bids from
re-auction or other award) (the “Northstar Re-Auction Payment”). For example, if the winning bids in a re-auction are
$1, the Northstar Re-Auction Payment would be approximately $1.892 billion, which is calculated as the difference
between $2.226 billion (the Northstar winning bid amounts) and $1 (the winning bids from re-auction) less the
resulting $334 million overpayment of the Northstar Interim Payment. As discussed above, at this time, DISH
Network (through itself, a subsidiary or another entity in which it may hold a direct or indirect interest) expects to
participate in any re-auction. We cannot predict with any degree of certainty the timing or outcome of any re-auction
or the amount of any Northstar Re-Auction Payment.
DISH Network Guaranty in Favor of the FCC for Certain Northstar Wireless Obligations. On October 1, 2015, DISH
Network entered into a guaranty in favor of the FCC (the “FCC Northstar Guaranty”) with respect to the Northstar
Interim Payment (which was satisfied on October 1, 2015) and any Northstar Re-Auction Payment. The FCC
Northstar Guaranty provides, among other things, that during the period between the due date for the payments
guaranteed under the FCC Northstar Guaranty and the date such guaranteed payments are paid: (i) Northstar Wireless’
payment obligations to American II under the Northstar Credit Agreement will be subordinated to such guaranteed
payments; and (ii) DISH Network or American II will withhold exercising certain rights as a creditor of Northstar
Wireless.
Letters Exchanged between SNR Wireless and the FCC Wireless Bureau. As outlined in letters exchanged between
SNR Wireless and the FCC Wireless Bureau, SNR Wireless paid the gross winning bid amounts for 244 AWS-3
Licenses (the “SNR Licenses”) totaling approximately $4.271 billion through the application of funds already on
deposit with the FCC and a portion of an additional loan from American III in an aggregate amount of approximately
$344 million (which included an additional bid withdrawal payment of approximately $3 million). SNR Wireless also
notified the FCC that it would not be paying the gross winning bid amounts for 113 AWS-3 Licenses totaling
approximately $1.211 billion.
As a result of the nonpayment of those gross winning bid amounts, the FCC retained those licenses and SNR Wireless
owed the FCC an additional interim payment of approximately $182 million (the “SNR Interim Payment”), which is
equal to 15% of $1.211 billion. The SNR Interim Payment was recorded as an expense during the fourth quarter of
2015. SNR Wireless immediately satisfied the SNR Interim Payment through a portion of an additional loan from
American III in an aggregate amount of approximately $344 million. As a result, the FCC will not deem SNR
Wireless to be a “current defaulter” under applicable FCC rules.
In addition, the FCC Wireless Bureau acknowledged that SNR Wireless’ nonpayment of those gross winning bid
amounts does not constitute action involving gross misconduct, misrepresentation or bad faith. Therefore, the FCC
concluded that such nonpayment will not affect the eligibility of SNR Wireless, its investors (including DISH
Network) or their respective affiliates to participate in future spectrum auctions (including Auction 1000 and any re-
auction of the AWS-3 licenses retained by the FCC). At this time, DISH Network (through itself, a subsidiary or
another entity in which it may hold a direct or indirect interest) expects to participate in any re-auction of those AWS-3
licenses.
If the winning bids from re-auction or other award of the AWS-3 licenses retained by the FCC are greater than or equal
to the winning bids of SNR Wireless, no additional amounts will be owed to the FCC. However, if those winning bids
are less than the winning bids of SNR Wireless, then SNR Wireless will be responsible for the difference less any
overpayment of the SNR Interim Payment (which will be recalculated as 15% of the winning bids from re-auction or
other award) (the “SNR Re-Auction Payment”). For example, if the winning bids in a re-auction are $1, the SNR Re-
Auction Payment would be approximately $1.029 billion, which is calculated as the difference between $1.211 billion
(the SNR winning bid amounts) and $1 (the winning bids from re-auction) less the resulting $182 million overpayment
of the SNR Interim Payment. As discussed above, at this time, DISH Network (through itself, a subsidiary or another
entity in which it may hold a direct or indirect interest) expects to participate in any re-auction. We cannot predict with
any degree of certainty the timing or outcome of any re-auction or the amount of any SNR Re-Auction Payment.
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DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
DISH Network Guaranty in Favor of the FCC for Certain SNR Wireless Obligations. On October 1, 2015, DISH
Network entered into a guaranty in favor of the FCC (the “FCC SNR Guaranty”) with respect to the SNR Interim
Payment (which was satisfied on October 1, 2015) and any SNR Re-Auction Payment. The FCC SNR Guaranty
provides, among other things, that during the period between the due date for the payments guaranteed under the FCC
SNR Guaranty and the date such guaranteed payments are paid: (i) SNR Wireless’ payment obligations to American
III under the SNR Credit Agreement will be subordinated to such guaranteed payments; and (ii) DISH Network or
American III will withhold exercising certain rights as a creditor of SNR Wireless.
FCC Licenses. On October 27, 2015, the FCC granted the Northstar Licenses to Northstar Wireless and the SNR
Licenses to SNR Wireless, respectively, which are recorded in “Regulatory authorizations, net” on our Consolidated
Balance Sheets. The AWS-3 Licenses are subject to certain interim and final build-out requirements. By October
2021, Northstar Wireless and SNR Wireless must provide reliable signal coverage and offer service to at least 40% of
the population in each area covered by an individual AWS-3 License (the “AWS-3 Interim Build-Out Requirement”).
By October 2027, Northstar Wireless and SNR Wireless must provide reliable signal coverage and offer service to at
least 75% of the population in each area covered by an individual AWS-3 License (the “AWS-3 Final Build-Out
Requirement”). The AWS-3 Interim Build-Out Requirement was not met and as a result, the AWS-3 License term and
the AWS-3 Final Build-Out Requirement have been accelerated by two years (from October 2027 to October 2025) for
each AWS-3 License area in which Northstar Wireless and SNR Wireless did not meet the requirement.
If the AWS-3 Final Build-Out Requirement is not met, the authorization for each AWS-3 License area in which
Northstar Wireless and SNR Wireless do not meet the requirement may terminate. These wireless spectrum licenses
expire in October 2027 unless they are renewed by the FCC. There can be no assurance that the FCC will renew these
wireless spectrum licenses.
Qui Tam. On September 23, 2016, the United States District Court for the District of Columbia unsealed a qui tam
complaint that was filed by Vermont National Telephone Company (“Vermont National”) against us; our wholly-
owned subsidiaries, American AWS-3 Wireless I L.L.C., American II, American III, and DISH Wireless Holding
L.L.C.; Charles W. Ergen (our Chairman) and Cantey M. Ergen (a member of our Board of Directors, at that time);
Northstar Wireless; Northstar Spectrum; Northstar Manager; SNR Wireless; SNR HoldCo; SNR Management; and
certain other parties. See “Contingencies – Litigation – Vermont National Telephone Company” for further
information.
D.C. Circuit Court Opinion. On August 29, 2017, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia
Circuit (the “D.C. Circuit”) in SNR Wireless LicenseCo, LLC, et al. v. Federal Communications Commission, 868 F.3d
1021 (D.C. Cir. 2017) (the “Appellate Decision”) affirmed the Order in part, and remanded the matter to the FCC to
give Northstar Wireless and SNR Wireless an opportunity to seek to negotiate a cure of the issues identified by the
FCC in the Order (a “Cure”). On January 26, 2018, SNR Wireless and Northstar Wireless filed a petition for a writ of
certiorari, asking the United States Supreme Court to hear an appeal from the Appellate Decision, which the United
States Supreme Court denied on June 25, 2018.
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DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
Order on Remand. On January 24, 2018, the FCC released an Order on Remand, DA 18-70 (the “Order on Remand”)
purporting to establish a procedure to afford Northstar Wireless and SNR Wireless the opportunity to implement a
Cure pursuant to the Appellate Decision. On June 8, 2018, Northstar Wireless and SNR Wireless each filed amended
agreements to demonstrate that, in light of such changes, each of Northstar Wireless and SNR Wireless qualified for
the very small business bidding credit that it sought in the AWS-3 Auction. Northstar Wireless and SNR Wireless filed
a Joint Application for Review of the Order on Remand requesting, among other things, an iterative negotiation
process with the FCC regarding a Cure, which was denied on July 12, 2018. The pleading cycle established in the
Order on Remand concluded in October 2018. On November 23, 2020, the FCC issued a Memorandum Opinion and
Order that concluded, among other things, that DISH Network retained de facto control over Northstar Wireless and
SNR Wireless and denied the very small business bidding credit sought by Northstar Wireless and SNR Wireless, even
though the parties had eliminated or significantly modified every provision previously deemed to have been
disqualifying by the FCC. Northstar Wireless and SNR Wireless timely filed an appeal of the FCC’s 2020 decision.
On June 21, 2022, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia issued an Opinion rejecting this
challenge. On January 17, 2023, Northstar Wireless filed a petition for a writ of certiorari asking the United States
Supreme Court to hear a further appeal, but that petition was denied on June 30, 2023.
Northstar Operative Agreements
Northstar LLC Agreement. Northstar Spectrum is governed by a limited liability company agreement by and between
American II and Northstar Manager (the “Northstar Spectrum LLC Agreement”). Pursuant to the Northstar Spectrum
LLC Agreement, American II and Northstar Manager made pro-rata equity contributions in Northstar Spectrum.
On March 31, 2018, American II, Northstar Spectrum, and Northstar Manager amended and restated the Northstar
Spectrum LLC Agreement, to, among other things: (i) exchange $6.870 billion of the amounts outstanding and owed
by Northstar Wireless to American II pursuant to the Northstar Credit Agreement (as defined below) for 6,870,493
Class A Preferred Interests in Northstar Spectrum (the “Northstar Preferred Interests”); (ii) replace the existing
investor protection provisions with the investor protections described by the FCC in Baker Creek Communications,
LLC, Memorandum Opinion and Order, 13 FCC Rcd 18709, 18715 (1998); (iii) delete the obligation of Northstar
Manager to consult with American II regarding budgets and business plans; and (iv) remove the requirement that
Northstar Spectrum’s systems be interoperable with ours. The Northstar Preferred Interests: (a) are non-voting; (b)
have a 12 percent mandatory quarterly distribution, which can be paid in cash or additional face amount of Northstar
Preferred Interests at the sole discretion of Northstar Manager; and (c) have a liquidation preference equal to the then-
current face amount of the Northstar Preferred Interests plus accrued and unpaid mandatory quarterly distributions in
the event of certain liquidation events or deemed liquidation events (e.g., a merger or dissolution of Northstar
Spectrum, or a sale of substantially all of Northstar Spectrum’s assets). As a result of the exchange noted in (i) above,
a principal amount of $500 million of debt remains under the Northstar Credit Agreement, as described below.
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DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
On June 7, 2018, American II, Northstar Spectrum, and Northstar Manager amended and restated the Second
Amended and Restated Limited Liability Company Agreement, dated March 31, 2018, by and among American II,
Northstar Spectrum, and Northstar Manager, to, among other things: (i) reduce the mandatory quarterly distribution for
the Northstar Preferred Interests from 12 percent to eight percent from and after June 7, 2018; (ii) increase the window
for Northstar Manager to “put” its interest in Northstar Spectrum to Northstar Spectrum after October 27, 2020 from
30 days to 90 days; (iii) provide an additional 90-day window for Northstar Manager to put its interest in Northstar
Spectrum to Northstar Spectrum commencing on October 27, 2021; (iv) provide a right for Northstar Manager to
require an appraisal of the fair market value of its interest in Northstar Spectrum at any time from October 27, 2022
through October 27, 2024, coupled with American II having the right to accept the offer to sell from Northstar
Manager; (v) allow Northstar Manager to sell its interest in Northstar Spectrum without American II’s consent any
time after October 27, 2020 (previously October 27, 2025); (vi) allow Northstar Spectrum to conduct an initial public
offering without American II’s consent any time after October 27, 2022 (previously October 27, 2029); (vii) remove
American II’s rights of first refusal with respect to Northstar Manager’s sale of its interest in Northstar Spectrum or
Northstar Spectrum’s sale of any AWS-3 Licenses; and (viii) remove American II’s tag along rights with respect to
Northstar Manager’s sale of its interest in Northstar Spectrum. Northstar Manager had the right to put its interest in
Northstar Spectrum to Northstar Spectrum for a 90-day period beginning October 27, 2020, which Northstar Manager
waived in connection with the Northstar Purchase Agreement.
On January 24, 2022, American II, Northstar Spectrum, and Northstar Manager amended and restated the Third
Amended and Restated Limited Liability Company Agreement, dated June 7, 2018, by and among American II,
Northstar Spectrum, and Northstar Manager, to, among other things: (i) increase the second window for Northstar
Manager to “put” its interest in Northstar Spectrum to Northstar Spectrum after October 27, 2021 from 90 days to 270
days.
On July 22, 2022, American II, Northstar Spectrum, and Northstar Manager amended and restated the Third Amended
and Restated Limited Liability Company Agreement, dated June 7, 2018, by and among American II, Northstar
Spectrum, and Northstar Manager, to, among other things, increase the second window for Northstar Manager to “put”
its interest in Northstar Spectrum to Northstar Spectrum after July 24, 2022 from 270 days to 360 days.
On October 21, 2022, we, through our wholly-owned subsidiary American II received notice that Northstar Manager
exercised the Northstar Put Right effective as of October 21, 2022. On October 12, 2023, the FCC consented to the
sale of Northstar Manager’s ownership interests in Northstar Spectrum, which we purchased for a total of
approximately $109 million. This purchase resulted in the elimination of all of our redeemable noncontrolling interest
as it related to Northstar Spectrum as of the purchase date and we continue to consolidate the Northstar Entities as
wholly-owned subsidiaries.
Northstar Wireless Credit Agreement. On October 1, 2015, American II, Northstar Wireless and Northstar Spectrum
amended the First Amended and Restated Credit Agreement dated October 13, 2014, by and among American II, as
Lender, Northstar Wireless, as Borrower, and Northstar Spectrum, as Guarantor (as amended, the “Northstar Credit
Agreement”), to provide, among other things, that: (i) the Northstar Interim Payment and any Northstar Re-Auction
Payment will be made by American II directly to the FCC and will be deemed as loans under the Northstar Credit
Agreement; (ii) the FCC is a third-party beneficiary with respect to American II’s obligation to pay the Northstar
Interim Payment and any Northstar Re-Auction Payment; (iii) in the event that the winning bids from re-auction or
other award of the AWS-3 licenses retained by the FCC are less than the winning bids of Northstar Wireless, the
purchaser, assignee or transferee of any AWS-3 Licenses from Northstar Wireless is obligated to pay its pro-rata share
of the difference (and Northstar Wireless remains jointly and severally liable for such pro-rata share); and (iv) during
the period between the due date for the payments guaranteed under the FCC Northstar Guaranty (as discussed below)
and the date such guaranteed payments are paid, Northstar Wireless’ payment obligations to American II under the
Northstar Credit Agreement will be subordinated to such guaranteed payments.
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DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
On March 31, 2018, American II, Northstar Wireless, and Northstar Spectrum amended and restated the Northstar
Credit Agreement, to, among other things: (i) lower the interest rate on the remaining $500 million principal balance
under the Northstar Credit Agreement from 12 percent per annum to six percent per annum; (ii) eliminate the higher
interest rate that would apply in the case of an event of default; and (iii) modify and/or remove certain obligations of
Northstar Wireless to prepay the outstanding loan amounts.
On June 7, 2018, American II, Northstar Wireless, and Northstar Spectrum amended and restated the Northstar Credit
Agreement to, among other things: (i) extend the maturity date on the remaining loan balance from seven years to ten
years; and (ii) remove the obligation of Northstar Wireless to obtain American II’s consent for unsecured financing and
equipment financing in excess of $25 million.
SNR Operative Agreements
SNR LLC Agreement. SNR HoldCo is governed by a limited liability company agreement by and between American
III and SNR Management (the “SNR HoldCo LLC Agreement”). Pursuant to the SNR HoldCo LLC Agreement,
American III and SNR Management made pro-rata equity contributions in SNR HoldCo.
On March 31, 2018, American III, SNR Holdco, SNR Wireless Management, and John Muleta amended and restated
the SNR HoldCo LLC Agreement, to, among other things: (i) exchange $5.065 billion of the amounts outstanding and
owed by SNR Wireless to American III pursuant to the SNR Credit Agreement (as defined below) for 5,065,415 Class
A Preferred Interests in SNR Holdco (the “SNR Preferred Interests”); (ii) replace the existing investor protection
provisions with the investor protections described by the FCC in Baker Creek Communications, LLC, Memorandum
Opinion and Order, 13 FCC Rcd 18709, 18715 (1998); (iii) delete the obligation of SNR Management to consult with
American III regarding budgets and business plans; and (iv) remove the requirement that SNR Management’s systems
be interoperable with ours. The SNR Preferred Interests: (a) are non-voting; (b) have a 12 percent mandatory quarterly
distribution, which can be paid in cash or additional face amount of SNR Preferred Interests at the sole discretion of
SNR Management; and (c) have a liquidation preference equal to the then-current face amount of the SNR Preferred
Interests plus accrued and unpaid mandatory quarterly distributions in the event of certain liquidation events or
deemed liquidation events (e.g., a merger or dissolution of SNR Holdco, or a sale of substantially all of SNR Holdco’s
assets). As a result of the exchange noted in (i) above, a principal amount of $500 million of debt remains under the
SNR Credit Agreement, as described below.
On June 7, 2018, American III, SNR Holdco, SNR Management, and John Muleta amended and restated the Second
Amended and Restated Limited Liability Company Agreement, dated March 31, 2018, by and among American III,
SNR Holdco, SNR Management and John Muleta, to, among other things: (i) reduce the mandatory quarterly
distribution for the SNR Preferred Interests from 12 percent to eight percent from and after June 7, 2018; (ii) increase
the window for SNR Management to “put” its interest in SNR Holdco to SNR Holdco after October 27, 2020 from 30
days to 90 days; (iii) provide an additional 90-day window for SNR Management to put its interest in SNR Holdco to
SNR Holdco commencing on October 27, 2021; (iv) provide a right for SNR Management to require an appraisal of
the fair market value of its interest in SNR Holdco at any time from October 27, 2022 through October 27, 2024,
coupled with American III having the right to accept the offer to sell from SNR Management; (v) allow SNR
Management to sell its interest in SNR Holdco without American III’s consent any time after October 27, 2020
(previously October 27, 2025); (vi) allow SNR Holdco to conduct an initial public offering without American III’s
consent any time after October 27, 2022 (previously October 27, 2029); (vii) remove American III’s rights of first
refusal with respect to SNR Management’s sale of its interest in SNR Holdco or SNR Holdco’s sale of any AWS-3
Licenses; and (viii) remove American III’s tag along rights with respect to SNR Management’s sale of its interest in
SNR Holdco. SNR Management had the right to put its interest in SNR Holdco to SNR Holdco for a 90-day period
from October 27, 2020. The First SNR Put Window closed in the first quarter of 2021, was not exercised and expired
in January 2021.
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DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
On November 15, 2021, we, through our wholly-owned subsidiary American III received notice that SNR
Management exercised the SNR Put Right effective as of November 15, 2021. Subsequent to December 31, 2023, the
FCC consented to the sale of SNR Management’s ownership interests in SNR HoldCo, which was purchased by our
parent’s direct wholly-owned subsidiary EchoStar SNR HoldCo L.L.C. for a total of approximately $442 million on
February 16, 2024. This purchase resulted in the conversion of our outstanding redeemable noncontrolling interest as
it relates to SNR HoldCo to noncontrolling interest, which is now held by our parent, EchoStar, as of the purchase
date.
SNR Credit Agreement. On October 1, 2015, American III, SNR Wireless and SNR HoldCo amended the First
Amended and Restated Credit Agreement dated October 13, 2014, by and among American III, as Lender, SNR
Wireless, as Borrower, and SNR HoldCo, as Guarantor (as amended, the “SNR Credit Agreement”), to provide, among
other things, that: (i) the SNR Interim Payment and any SNR Re-Auction Payment will be made by American III
directly to the FCC and will be deemed as loans under the SNR Credit Agreement; (ii) the FCC is a third-party
beneficiary with respect to American III’s obligation to pay the SNR Interim Payment and any SNR Re-Auction
Payment; (iii) in the event that the winning bids from re-auction or other award of the AWS-3 licenses retained by the
FCC are less than the winning bids of SNR Wireless, the purchaser, assignee or transferee of any AWS-3 Licenses
from SNR Wireless is obligated to pay its pro-rata share of the difference (and SNR Wireless remains jointly and
severally liable for such pro-rata share); and (iv) during the period between the due date for the payments guaranteed
under the FCC SNR Guaranty (as discussed below) and the date such guaranteed payments are paid, SNR Wireless’
payment obligations to American III under the SNR Credit Agreement will be subordinated to such guaranteed
payments.
On March 31, 2018, American III, SNR Wireless, and SNR Holdco amended and restated the SNR Credit Agreement,
to, among other things: (i) lower the interest rate on the remaining $500 million principal balance under the SNR
Credit Agreement from 12 percent per annum to six percent per annum; (ii) eliminate the higher interest rate that
would apply in the case of an event of default; and (iii) modify and/or remove certain obligations of SNR Wireless to
prepay the outstanding loan amounts.
On June 7, 2018, American III, SNR Wireless, and SNR Holdco amended and restated the SNR Credit Agreement to,
among other things: (i) extend the maturity date on the remaining loan balance from seven years to ten years; and
(ii) remove the obligation of SNR Wireless to obtain American III’s consent for unsecured financing and equipment
financing in excess of $25 million.
Satellite Insurance
We generally do not carry commercial launch or in-orbit insurance on any of the satellites we own. We generally do
not use commercial insurance to mitigate the potential financial impact of launch or in-orbit failures because we
believe that the cost of insurance premiums is uneconomical relative to the risk of such failures. 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
owned or leased satellites and use it as a replacement for the failed or lost satellite.
Purchase Obligations
Our 2024 purchase obligations primarily consist of binding purchase orders for certain fixed contractual commitments
to purchase programming content, receiver systems and related equipment, broadband equipment, digital broadcast
operations, transmission costs, streaming delivery technology and infrastructure, engineering services, and other
products and services. In addition, our 2024 purchase obligations also include wireless devices related to our Retail
Wireless business. Our purchase obligations may fluctuate significantly from period to period due to, among other
things, management’s timing of payments and inventory purchases, which can materially impact our future operating
asset and liability balances, and our future working capital requirements. Furthermore, our 2023 purchase obligations
related to certain 5G Network Deployment commitments are included in “Other long-term obligations” in the
“Commitments” table above.
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DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
Programming Contracts
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.
These programming commitments are not included in the “Commitments” table above. The terms of our contracts
typically range from one to ten years with annual rate increases. Our programming expenses will increase to the extent
we are successful in growing our Pay-TV subscriber base. In addition, programming costs per subscriber continue to
increase due to contractual price increases and the renewal of long-term programming contracts on less favorable
pricing terms.
Patents and Intellectual Property
Many entities, including 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. We may not be
aware of all intellectual property rights that our products or services may potentially infringe. Damages in patent
infringement cases can be substantial, and in certain circumstances can be trebled. Further, we cannot estimate the
extent to which we may be required in the future to obtain licenses with respect to patents held by others and the
availability and cost of any such licenses. Various parties have asserted patent and other intellectual property rights
with respect to components of our products and services. We cannot be certain that these persons do not own the rights
they claim, that our products do not infringe on these rights, and/or that these rights are not valid. Further, 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.
Contingencies
Litigation
We are involved in a number of legal proceedings (including those described below) concerning matters arising in
connection with the conduct of our business activities. Many of these proceedings are at preliminary stages, and many
of these proceedings seek an indeterminate amount of damages. We regularly evaluate the status of the legal
proceedings in which we are involved to assess whether a loss is probable or there is a reasonable possibility that a loss
or an additional loss may have been incurred and to determine if accruals are appropriate. If accruals are not
appropriate, we further evaluate each legal proceeding to assess whether an estimate of the possible loss or range of
possible loss can be made.
For certain cases described on the following pages, management is unable to provide a meaningful estimate of the
possible loss or range of possible loss because, among other reasons, (i) the proceedings are in various stages;
(ii) damages have not been sought; (iii) damages are unsupported and/or exaggerated; (iv) there is uncertainty as to the
outcome of pending appeals or motions; (v) there are significant factual issues to be resolved; and/or (vi) there are
novel legal issues or unsettled legal theories to be presented or a large number of parties. For these cases, however,
management does not believe, based on currently available information, that the outcomes of these proceedings will
have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, though the outcomes could be material to our operating
results for any particular period, depending, in part, upon the operating results for such period.
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ClearPlay, Inc.
DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
On March 13, 2014, ClearPlay, Inc. (“ClearPlay”) filed a complaint against EchoStar, us and our wholly-owned
subsidiary DISH Network L.L.C., and EchoStar’s then wholly-owned subsidiary EchoStar Technologies L.L.C., in the
United States District Court for the District of Utah. The complaint alleges willful infringement of United States
Patent Nos. 6,898,799 (the “799 patent”), entitled “Multimedia Content Navigation and Playback”; 7,526,784 (the
“784 patent”), entitled “Delivery of Navigation Data for Playback of Audio and Video Content”; 7,543,318 (the “318
patent”), entitled “Delivery of Navigation Data for Playback of Audio and Video Content”; 7,577,970 (the “970
patent”), entitled “Multimedia Content Navigation and Playback”; and 8,117,282 (the “282 patent”), entitled “Media
Player Configured to Receive Playback Filters From Alternative Storage Mediums.” ClearPlay alleges that the
AutoHop™ feature of our Hopper® set-top box infringes the asserted patents. On February 11, 2015, the case was
stayed pending various third-party challenges before the United States Patent and Trademark Office regarding the
validity of certain of the patents asserted in the action.
In those third-party challenges, the United States Patent and Trademark Office found that all claims of the 282 patent
are unpatentable, and that certain claims of the 784 patent and 318 patent are unpatentable. ClearPlay appealed as to
the 784 patent and the 318 patent, and on August 23, 2016, the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
affirmed the findings of the United States Patent and Trademark Office. On October 31, 2016, the stay was lifted, and
in May 2017, ClearPlay agreed to dismiss EchoStar and us as defendants, leaving DISH Network L.L.C. and DISH
Technologies L.L.C. as the sole defendants.
On October 16, October 21, November 2, 2020 and November 9, 2020, DISH Network L.L.C. filed petitions with the
United States Patent and Trademark Office requesting ex parte reexamination of the validity of the asserted claims of,
respectively, the 784 patent, the 799 patent, the 318 patent and the 970 patent; and on November 2, November 20,
December 14 and December 15, 2020, the United States Patent and Trademark Office granted each request for
reexamination. On May 7, 2021, May 25, 2021, June 25, 2021 and July 7, 2021, the United States Patent and
Trademark Office issued Ex Parte Reexamination Certificates confirming the patentability of the challenged claims of,
respectively, the 799 patent, the 784 patent, the 318 patent and the 970 patent.
In October and November 2021, DISH Network L.L.C. filed petitions with the United States Patent and Trademark
Office requesting ex parte reexamination of the validity of certain asserted claims of the 784 patent, the 799 patent and
the 970 patent. In November and December, 2021, the United States Patent and Trademark Office granted review of
the challenged claims of the 799 patent and the 970 patent, but denied review of the challenged claims of the 784
patent. On January 24, 2022, an examiner of the United States Patent and Trademark Office affirmed the challenged
claims of the 799 patent, and on January 19, 2023, an examiner of the United States Patent and Trademark Office
affirmed the challenged claims of the 970 patent.
In an order dated January 31, 2023, the Court granted in part and denied in part DISH Network L.L.C.’s and DISH
Technologies L.L.C.’s motion for summary judgment. Thereafter, ClearPlay narrowed its case to three asserted claims:
one under the 799 patent and two under the 970 patent. Following a two-week trial, on March 10, 2023, the jury
returned a verdict that DISH Network L.L.C. and DISH Technologies L.L.C. infringed each of the asserted patent
claims (though not willfully), and awarded damages of $469 million. That verdict became moot on March 21, 2023,
when the trial court indicated that it would grant DISH Network L.L.C.’s and DISH Technologies L.L.C.’s motion for
judgment as a matter of law, thus effectively vacating the jury award. On June 2, 2023, the Court entered its formal
order granting judgment as a matter of law. On December 12, 2023, the Court denied ClearPlay’s motion to alter or
amend the judgment. ClearPlay has filed a notice of appeal to the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal
Circuit.
We intend to vigorously defend this case. In the event that a court ultimately determines that we infringe the asserted
patents, we may be subject to substantial damages, which may include treble damages, and/or an injunction that could
require us to materially modify certain features that we currently offer to consumers. We cannot predict with any
degree of certainty the outcome of the suit or determine the extent of any potential liability or damages.
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DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
Data Breach Class Actions
On May 9, 2023, Susan Owen-Brooks, an alleged customer, filed a putative class action complaint against us in the
United States District Court for the District of Colorado. She purports to represent a nationwide class of all individuals
in the United States who allegedly had private information stolen as a result of the February 23, 2023 Cyber-security
Incident (and a North Carolina statewide subclass of the same individuals). On behalf of the nationwide class, she
alleges claims for contractual breaches, negligence and unjust enrichment (and, on behalf of the North Carolina
subclass only, violation of the North Carolina Deceptive Trade Practices Act), and seeks monetary damages, injunctive
relief and a declaratory judgment. Since that filing, ten additional putative class action complaints have been filed in
the United States District Court for the District of Colorado, purporting to represent the same nationwide class of
people, and Owen-Brooks has filed an amended complaint. On August 2, 2023, the Court issued an order
consolidating the first ten cases (the eleventh was dismissed) and, on November 16, 2023, the plaintiffs filed a
consolidated amended class action complaint.
We intend to vigorously defend this case. We cannot predict with any degree of certainty the outcome of the suit or
determine the extent of any potential liability or damages.
Digital Broadcasting Solutions, LLC
On August 29, 2022, Digital Broadcasting Solutions, LLC filed a complaint against our wholly-owned subsidiaries
DISH Network L.L.C. and DISH Technologies L.L.C. in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of
Texas. The complaint alleges infringement of U.S. Patent No. 8,929,710 (the “710 patent”) and U.S. Patent No.
9,538,122 (the “122 patent”), each entitled “System and method for time shifting at least a portion of a video
program.” Generally, the plaintiff contends that the AutoHop feature of our Hopper® set-top boxes infringes the
asserted patents. On June 21, 2023, the Court granted the motion of DISH Network L.L.C. and DISH Technologies
L.L.C. to have the case transferred to the United States District Court for the District of Colorado.
In May 2023, DISH Network L.L.C. and DISH Technologies L.L.C. filed petitions with the United States Patent and
Trademark Office challenging the validity of all claims of the 710 patent and the 122 patent and, on December 11,
2023, the United States Patent and Trademark Office entered decisions instituting each petition.
We intend to vigorously defend this case. In the event that a court ultimately determines that we infringe the asserted
patents, we may be subject to substantial damages, which may include treble damages, and/or an injunction that could
require us to materially modify certain features that we currently offer to consumers. We cannot predict with any
degree of certainty the outcome of the suit or determine the extent of any potential liability or damages.
Entropic Communications, LLC (first action)
On March 9, 2022, Entropic Communications, LLC (“Entropic”) filed a complaint against us and our wholly-owned
subsidiaries DISH Network L.L.C. and Dish Network Service L.L.C. in the United States District Court for the Eastern
District of Texas. The complaint alleges infringement of U.S. Patent No. 7,130,576 (the “576 patent”), entitled “Signal
Selector and Combiner for Broadband Content Distribution”; U.S. Patent No. 7,542,715 (the “715 Patent”), entitled
“Signal Selector and Combiner for Broadband Content Distribution”; and U.S. Patent No. 8,792,008 (the “008
Patent”), entitled “Method and Apparatus for Spectrum Monitoring.” On March 30, 2022, Entropic filed an amended
complaint alleging infringement of the same patents. Generally, the plaintiff accuses satellite antennas, low-noise block
converters, signal selector and combiners, and set-top boxes and the manner in which they process signals for satellite
television customers of infringing the asserted patents. On October 24, 2022, this case was ordered to be transferred to
the United States District Court for the Central District of California. A companion case against DirecTV was also
ordered transferred to the United States District Court for the Central District of California.
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DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
In January and February of 2023, DISH Network L.L.C. and Dish Network Service L.L.C. filed petitions with the
United States Patent and Trademark Office challenging the validity of all claims of the 715 patent, all claims of the 008
patent, and 25 claims of the 576 patent, which includes all of its asserted claims. In August and September 2023, the
Patent Office denied institution on the petitions challenging the 715 patent and the 576 patent. In September 2023, at
the parties’ joint request, the Patent Office dismissed the petition challenging the 008 patent, as Entropic agreed to
drop its claims against DISH Network on that patent.
We intend to vigorously defend this case. In the event that a court ultimately determines that we infringe the asserted
patents, we may be subject to substantial damages, which may include treble damages, and/or an injunction that could
require us to materially modify certain features that we currently offer to consumers. We cannot predict with any
degree of certainty the outcome of the suit or determine the extent of any potential liability or damages. The plaintiff is
an entity that seeks to license a patent portfolio without itself practicing any of the claims recited therein.
Entropic Communications, LLC (second action)
On February 10, 2023, Entropic filed a second lawsuit against us and our wholly-owned subsidiaries DISH Network
L.L.C., Dish Network Service L.L.C. and Dish Network California Service Corporation in the United States District
Court for the Central District of California. The complaint alleges infringement of U.S. Patent No. 7,295,518 (the
“518 patent”), entitled “Broadband network for coaxial cable using multi-carrier modulation”; U.S. Patent No.
7,594,249 (the “249 patent”), entitled “Network interface device and broadband local area network using coaxial
cable”; U.S. Patent Nos. 7,889,759 (the “759 patent”), entitled “Broadband cable network utilizing common bit-
loading”; U.S. Patent No. 8,085,802 (the “802 Patent”), entitled “Multimedia over coaxial cable access protocol”; U.S.
Patent No. 9,838,213 (the “213 patent”), entitled “Parameterized quality of service architecture in a network”; U.S.
Patent No. 10,432,422 (the “422 patent”), entitled “Parameterized quality of service architecture in a network”; U.S.
Patent No. 8,631,450 (the “450 patent”), entitled “Broadband local area network”; U.S. Patent No. 8,621,539 (the “539
patent”), entitled “Physical layer transmitter for use in a broadband local area network”; U.S. Patent No. 8,320,566 (the
“0,566 patent”), entitled “Method and apparatus for performing constellation scrambling in a multimedia home
network”; U.S. Patent No. 10,257,566 (the “7,566 patent”), entitled “Broadband local area network”; U.S. Patent No.
8,228,910 (the “910 Patent”), entitled “Aggregating network packets for transmission to a destination mode”; and U.S.
Patent No. 8,363,681 (the “681 patent”), entitled “Method and apparatus for using ranging measurements in a
multimedia home network.” Generally, the patents relate to Multimedia over Coax Alliance standards and the manner
in which we provide a whole-home DVR network over an on-premises coaxial cable network. Entropic has asserted
the same patents in the same court against Comcast, Cox and DirecTV. On September 7, 2023, the Court granted the
motion of DISH Network L.L.C., Dish Network Service L.L.C. and Dish Network California Service Corporation to
dismiss the claims arising from the 7,566 patent and the 910 patent on the grounds that they claimed in eligible subject
matter. In January and February 2024, DISH Network L.L.C. filed petitions with the United States Patent and
Trademark Office challenging the validity of the 249 patent, the 518 patent, the 759 patent, the 450 patent, the 539
patent, the ’0,566 patent, and the ’681 patent.
We intend to vigorously defend this case. In the event that a court ultimately determines that we infringe the asserted
patents, we may be subject to substantial damages, which may include treble damages, and/or an injunction that could
require us to materially modify certain features that we currently offer to consumers. We cannot predict with any
degree of certainty the outcome of the suit or determine the extent of any potential liability or damages.
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Freedom Patents
DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
On April 7, 2023, Freedom Patents LLC filed a complaint against us and our wholly-owned subsidiaries DISH
Network L.L.C. and Dish Network Service L.L.C. in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas.
The complaint alleges infringement of U.S. Patent No. 8,284,686 (the “686 Patent”), entitled “Antenna/Beam
Selection Training in MIMO Wireless LANS with Different Sounding Frames”; U.S. Patent No. 8,374,096 (the “096
Patent”), entitled “Method for Selecting Antennas and Beams in MIMO Wireless LANs”; and U.S. Patent
No. 8,514,815 (the “815 Patent”), entitled “Training Signals for Selecting Antennas and Beams in MIMO Wireless
LANs.” Similar complaints were also filed against Acer, Altice, Charter, Comcast and Verizon. In general, the asserted
patents relate to the 802.11 wireless standard, and the products accused of infringement are the Wireless Joey, its
access point, and certain Ring, Nest and Linksys products that we sell.
We intend to vigorously defend this case. In the event that a court ultimately determines that we infringe the asserted
patents, we may be subject to substantial damages, which may include treble damages, and/or an injunction that could
require us to materially modify certain features that we currently offer to consumers. We cannot predict with any
degree of certainty the outcome of the suit or determine the extent of any potential liability or damages. The plaintiff is
an entity that seeks to license a patent portfolio without itself practicing any of the claims recited therein.
Jones 401(k) Litigation
On December 20, 2021, four former employees filed a class action complaint in the United States District Court for the
District of Colorado against us, our Board of Directors at that time, and our Retirement Plan Committee at that time
alleging fiduciary breaches arising from the management of our 401(k) Plan. The putative class, comprised of all
participants in the Plan on or after January 20, 2016, alleges that the Plan had excessive recordkeeping and
administrative expenses and that it maintained underperforming funds. On February 1, 2023, a Magistrate Judge
issued a recommendation that the defendants’ motion to dismiss the complaint be granted, and on March 27, 2023, the
district court judge granted the motion. As permitted by the Court’s order, the plaintiffs filed an amended complaint on
April 10, 2023, which is limited to allegations regarding the alleged underperformance of the Fidelity Freedom Funds.
On November 7, 2023, a Magistrate Judge issued a recommendation that the defendants’ motion to dismiss the
amended complaint be denied as to the duty to prudently monitor fund performance, but be granted as to the duty of
loyalty and, on November 27, 2023, the district court judge entered an order adopting the recommendation.
We intend to vigorously defend this case. We cannot predict with any degree of certainty the outcome of the suit or
determine the extent of any potential liability or damages.
Lingam Securities Class Action (formerly Jaramillo)
On March 23, 2023, a securities fraud class action complaint was filed against us and Messrs. Ergen, Carlson and
Orban in the United States District Court for the District of Colorado. The complaint is brought on behalf of a putative
class of purchasers of our securities during the February 22, 2021 to February 27, 2023 class period. In general, the
complaint alleges that DISH Network’s public statements during that period were false and misleading and contained
material omissions, because they did not disclose that we allegedly maintained a deficient cyber-security and
information technology infrastructure, were unable to properly secure customer data and our operations were
susceptible to widespread service outages.
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DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
In August 2023, the Court appointed a new lead plaintiff and lead plaintiff’s counsel, and, on October 20, 2023, they
filed an amended complaint that abandoned the original allegations. In their amended complaint, plaintiffs allege that,
during the class period, the defendants concealed problems concerning the 5G network buildout that prevented scaling
and commercializing the network to obtain enterprise customers. The amended complaint adds as individual
defendants James S. Allen, our Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer; John Swieringa, our President,
Technology and Chief Operating Officer; Dave Mayo, our former Executive Vice President of Network Development;
Marc Rouanne, our Executive Vice President and Chief Network Officer; and Stephen Bye, our former Executive Vice
President and Chief Commercial Officer. After the defendants filed a motion to dismiss, the plaintiffs filed a further
amended complaint, asserting the same theory, on February 23, 2024. The new complaint drops Erik Carlson, John
Swieringa, Paul Orban and James Allen as individual defendants.
We intend to vigorously defend this case. We cannot predict with any degree of certainty the outcome of the suit or
determine the extent of any potential liability or damages.
Realtime Data LLC and Realtime Adaptive Streaming LLC
On June 6, 2017, Realtime Data LLC d/b/a IXO (“Realtime”) filed an amended complaint in the United States District
Court for the Eastern District of Texas (the “Original Texas Action”) against us; our wholly-owned subsidiaries DISH
Network L.L.C., DISH Technologies L.L.C. (then known as EchoStar Technologies L.L.C.), Sling TV L.L.C. and
Sling Media L.L.C.; EchoStar, and EchoStar’s wholly-owned subsidiary Hughes Network Systems, L.L.C. (“HNS”);
and Arris Group, Inc. Realtime’s initial complaint in the Original Texas Action, filed on February 14, 2017, had
named only EchoStar and HNS as defendants.
The amended complaint in the Original Texas Action alleges infringement of United States Patent No. 8,717,204 (the
“204 patent”), entitled “Methods for encoding and decoding data”; United States Patent No. 9,054,728 (the “728
patent”), entitled “Data compression systems and methods”; United States Patent No. 7,358,867 (the “867 patent”),
entitled “Content independent data compression method and system”; United States Patent No. 8,502,707 (the “707
patent”), entitled “Data compression systems and methods”; United States Patent No. 8,275,897 (the “897 patent”),
entitled “System and methods for accelerated data storage and retrieval”; United States Patent No. 8,867,610 (the “610
patent”), entitled “System and methods for video and audio data distribution”; United States Patent No. 8,934,535 (the
“535 patent”), entitled “Systems and methods for video and audio data storage and distribution”; and United States
Patent No. 8,553,759 (the “759 patent”), entitled “Bandwidth sensitive data compression and decompression.”
Realtime alleges that our, Sling TV L.L.C.’s, Sling Media L.L.C.’s and Arris Group, Inc.’s streaming video products
and services compliant with various versions of the H.264 video compression standard infringe the 897 patent, the 610
patent and the 535 patent, and that the data compression system in HNS’ products and services infringes the 204
patent, the 728 patent, the 867 patent, the 707 patent and the 759 patent.
On July 19, 2017, the Court severed Realtime’s claims against us, DISH Network L.L.C., Sling TV L.L.C., Sling
Media L.L.C. and Arris Group, Inc. (alleging infringement of the 897 patent, the 610 patent and the 535 patent) from
the Original Texas Action into a separate action in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
(the “Second Texas Action”). On August 31, 2017, Realtime dismissed the claims against us, Sling TV L.L.C., Sling
Media Inc., and Sling Media L.L.C. from the Second Texas Action and refiled these claims (alleging infringement of
the 897 patent, the 610 patent and the 535 patent) against Sling TV L.L.C., Sling Media Inc., and Sling Media L.L.C.
in a new action in the United States District Court for the District of Colorado (the “Colorado Action”). Also on
August 31, 2017, Realtime dismissed DISH Technologies L.L.C. from the Original Texas Action, and on September
12, 2017, added it as a defendant in an amended complaint in the Second Texas Action. On November 6, 2017,
Realtime filed a joint motion to dismiss the Second Texas Action without prejudice, which the Court entered on
November 8, 2017.
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DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
On October 10, 2017, Realtime Adaptive Streaming LLC (“Realtime Adaptive Streaming”) filed suit against our
wholly-owned subsidiaries DISH Network L.L.C. and DISH Technologies L.L.C., as well as Arris Group, Inc., in a
new action in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas (the “Third Texas Action”), alleging
infringement of the 610 patent and the 535 patent. Also on October 10, 2017, an amended complaint was filed in the
Colorado Action, substituting Realtime Adaptive Streaming as the plaintiff instead of Realtime, and alleging
infringement of only the 610 patent and the 535 patent, but not the 897 patent. On November 6, 2017, Realtime
Adaptive Streaming filed a joint motion to dismiss the Third Texas Action without prejudice, which the court entered
on November 8, 2017. Also on November 6, 2017, Realtime Adaptive Streaming filed a second amended complaint in
the Colorado Action, adding our wholly-owned subsidiaries DISH Network L.L.C. and DISH Technologies L.L.C., as
well as Arris Group, Inc., as defendants.
As a result, neither we nor any of our subsidiaries is a defendant in the Original Texas Action; the Court has dismissed
without prejudice the Second Texas Action and the Third Texas Action; and our wholly-owned subsidiaries DISH
Network L.L.C., DISH Technologies L.L.C., Sling TV L.L.C. and Sling Media L.L.C. as well as Arris Group, Inc., are
defendants in the Colorado Action, which now has Realtime Adaptive Streaming as the named plaintiff. Following
settlements with the plaintiff, EchoStar and HNS were dismissed from the Original Texas Action in February 2019,
and Arris Group, Inc. was dismissed from the Colorado Action in March 2021.
On July 3, 2018, Sling TV L.L.C., Sling Media L.L.C., DISH Network L.L.C., and DISH Technologies L.L.C. filed
petitions with the United States Patent and Trademark Office challenging the validity of each of the asserted patents.
On January 31, 2019, the United States Patent and Trademark Office agreed to institute proceedings on our petitions,
and it held trial on the petitions on December 5, 2019. On January 17, 2020, the United States Patent and Trademark
Office terminated the petitions as time-barred, but issued a final written decision invalidating the 535 patent to third
parties that had timely joined in our petition (and, on January 10, 2020, issued a final written decision invalidating the
535 patent in connection with a third party’s independent petition). On March 16, 2020, Sling TV L.L.C., Sling Media
L.L.C., DISH Network L.L.C., and DISH Technologies L.L.C. filed a notice of appeal from the terminated petitions to
the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. On June 29, 2020, the United States Patent and Trademark
Office filed a notice of intervention in the appeal. On March 16, 2021, the Court of Appeals dismissed the appeal for
lack of jurisdiction. On April 29, 2021, Sling TV L.L.C., Sling Media L.L.C., DISH Network L.L.C., and DISH
Technologies L.L.C. filed a petition for rehearing, which was denied on June 28, 2021. On January 12, 2021, Realtime
Adaptive Streaming filed a notice of dismissal of its claims on the 535 patent.
On July 30, 2021, the District Court granted summary judgment in favor of DISH Network L.L.C., DISH Technologies
L.L.C., Sling TV L.L.C. and Sling Media L.L.C., holding that the remaining asserted patent, the 610 patent, is invalid
because it claims patent-ineligible abstract subject matter. Realtime Adaptive Streaming appealed that ruling to the
United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and on May 11, 2023, that Court affirmed the District Court’s
summary judgment order. Independently, on September 21, 2021, in connection with an ex parte reexamination of the
validity of the 610 patent, an examiner at the United States Patent and Trademark Office issued a final office action
rejecting each asserted claim of the 610 patent as invalid over the cited prior art. On April 19, 2023, the Patent Trial
and Appeal Board rejected Realtime Adaptive Streaming’s appeal and affirmed the examiner’s rejection of the asserted
claims of the 610 patent. Realtime did not further appeal the Patent Trial and Appeal Board’s determination and, thus,
the asserted claims of the 610 patent were canceled. As a result, DISH Network L.L.C., DISH Technologies L.L.C.,
Sling TV L.L.C. and Sling Media L.L.C. no longer face any possible exposure from this matter, and the liability phase
of this case is concluded.
On January 21, 2022, the District Court granted the motion by DISH Network L.L.C., DISH Technologies L.L.C.,
Sling TV L.L.C. and Sling Media L.L.C. to have the case declared “exceptional,” and on September 20, 2022, awarded
them $3.9 million in attorneys’ fees. Realtime Adaptive Streaming filed a notice of appeal to the United States Court
of Appeals for the Federal Circuit from the exceptionality and fee award orders, and that appeal is now fully briefed
and scheduled for oral argument on April 2, 2024.
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SafeCast Limited
DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
On June 27, 2022, SafeCast Limited filed a complaint against us in the United States District Court for the Western
District of Texas. The complaint alleges that we infringe U.S. Patent No. 9,392,302, entitled “System for providing
improved facilities in time-shifted broadcasts” (the “302 patent”). On the same day, it brought complaints in the same
court asserting infringement of the same patent against AT&T, Google, HBO, NBCUniversal, Paramount and Verizon.
On October 24, 2022, in response to the parties’ joint motion, the Court ordered the case against us transferred to the
United States District Court for the District of Colorado. On December 1, 2022, SafeCast filed an amended complaint
naming our wholly-owned subsidiaries DISH Network L.L.C. and DISH Technologies L.L.C. as defendants and
withdrawing the allegations as to us. On June 22, 2023, DISH Network L.L.C. and DISH Technologies L.L.C. filed a
petition with the United States Patent and Trademark Office challenging the validity of the asserted claims of the 302
patent. On August 28, 2023, the Court stayed the case pending resolution of the petition.
We intend to vigorously defend this case. In the event that a court ultimately determines that we infringe the asserted
patent, we may be subject to substantial damages, which may include treble damages, and/or an injunction that could
require us to materially modify certain features that we currently offer to consumers. We cannot predict with any
degree of certainty the outcome of the suit or determine the extent of any potential liability or damages. The plaintiff
is an entity that seeks to license a patent portfolio without itself practicing any of the claims recited therein.
Sound View Innovations, LLC
On December 30, 2019, Sound View Innovations, LLC filed one complaint against our wholly-owned subsidiaries
DISH Network L.L.C. and DISH Technologies L.L.C. and a second complaint against our wholly-owned subsidiary
Sling TV L.L.C. in the United States District Court for the District of Colorado. The complaint against DISH Network
L.L.C. and DISH Technologies L.L.C. alleges infringement of United States Patent No 6,502,133 (the “133 patent”),
entitled “Real-Time Event Processing System with Analysis Engine Using Recovery Information” and both complaints
allege infringement of United States Patent No. 6,708,213 (the “213 patent), entitled “Method for Streaming
Multimedia Information Over Public Networks”; United States Patent No. 6,757,796 (the “796 patent”), entitled
“Method and System for Caching Streaming Live Broadcasts transmitted Over a Network”; and United States Patent
No. 6,725,456 (the “456 patent”), entitled “Methods and Apparatus for Ensuring Quality of Service in an Operating
System.” All but the 133 patent are also asserted in the complaint against Sling TV L.L.C.
On May 21, 2020, June 3, 2020, June 5, 2020 and July 10, 2020, DISH Network L.L.C., DISH Technologies L.L.C.
and Sling TV L.L.C. filed petitions with the United States Patent and Trademark Office challenging the validity of,
respectively, the 213 patent, the 133 patent, the 456 patent and the 796 patent. On November 25, 2020, the United
States Patent and Trademark Office declined to review the validity of the 213 patent, and on September 29, 2021,
denied a request for rehearing of that decision. On January 19, 2021, the United States Patent and Trademark Office
agreed to institute proceedings on the 456 patent but declined to review the 133 patent. On February 24, 2021, the
United States Patent and Trademark Office agreed to institute proceedings on the 796 patent. On January 18, 2022, the
United States Patent and Trademark Office issued a final written decision holding that the challenged claim of the 456
patent is patentable, and on February 8, 2022, it issued a final written decision holding that the challenged claims of
the 796 patent are patentable.
On March 22, 2022, DISH Network L.L.C., DISH Technologies L.L.C. and Sling TV L.L.C. filed a notice of appeal to
the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit from the adverse final written decision regarding the 456
patent, and on April 8, 2022, they filed a notice of appeal to the same court from the adverse final written decision
regarding the 796 patent. The appeal on the 456 patent was voluntarily dismissed on December 6, 2022. The Federal
Circuit heard oral argument on the 796 patent appeal on October 3, 2023, and affirmed the United States Patent and
Trademark Office’s adverse final written decision on October 5, 2023.
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DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
On April 20, 2022, DISH Network L.L.C., DISH Technologies L.L.C. and Sling TV L.L.C. filed a petition with the
United States Patent and Trademark Office requesting ex parte reexamination of the validity of one of the asserted
claims of the 213 patent, and reexamination was ordered on June 16, 2022. On January 18, 2023, they filed another
petition requesting ex parte reexamination of the validity of the four additional asserted claims of the 213 patent, and
reexamination was ordered on April 17, 2023. On November 13, 2023, the United States Patent and Trademark Office
confirmed the patentability of the claim challenged in our first petition.
We intend to vigorously defend these cases. In the event that a court ultimately determines that we infringe the
asserted patents, we may be subject to substantial damages, which may include treble damages, and/or an injunction
that could require us to materially modify certain features that we currently offer to consumers. We cannot predict
with any degree of certainty the outcome of the suit or determine the extent of any potential liability or damages. The
plaintiff is an entity that seeks to license a patent portfolio without itself practicing any of the claims recited therein.
State of Illinois ex rel. Rodriguez
In March 2020, two private “relators” filed this case in the Circuit Court of Cook County Illinois, County Department,
Law Division, under the Illinois False Claims Act against DISH Wireless, Sprint and more than 60 Boost Mobile
retailers in Illinois. The defendants only became aware of the lawsuit after it was unsealed in March 2022. The
operative Second Amended Complaint alleges that the retailer defendants should have collected sales tax under the
Retailers’ Occupation Tax Act on any amounts that Sprint or DISH Network rebated them to facilitate handset price
discounts to Illinois consumers (“Prepaid Phone Rebates”) and on any phone activation fees the retailers charged to
customers (“Device Setup Charges”). It further alleges that DISH Wireless and Sprint are liable for the alleged
violations arising from the Device Setup Charges because of the way they allegedly managed the point-of-sale system
that the retailer defendants used. The Plaintiffs seek to recover triple the amount of allegedly unpaid taxes, fines for
each alleged violation, and attorneys’ fees and costs. On June 13, 2023, the Court denied the defendants’ motions to
dismiss the complaint, but on January 2, 2024, it granted reconsideration and dismissed the complaint as to DISH
Wireless and Sprint, with leave to amend. The Plaintiffs filed a Third Amended Complaint on February 2, 2024.
We intend to vigorously defend this case. We cannot predict with any degree of certainty the outcome of the suit or
determine the extent of any potential liability or damages.
TQ Delta, LLC
On July 17, 2015, TQ Delta, LLC (“TQ Delta”) filed a complaint against us and our wholly-owned subsidiaries DISH
DBS Corporation and DISH Network L.L.C. in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware. The
Complaint alleges infringement of United States Patent No. 6,961,369 (the “369 patent”), which is entitled “System
and Method for Scrambling the Phase of the Carriers in a Multicarrier Communications System”; United States Patent
No. 8,718,158 (the “158 patent”), which is entitled “System and Method for Scrambling the Phase of the Carriers in a
Multicarrier Communications System”; United States Patent No. 9,014,243 (the “243 patent”), which is entitled
“System and Method for Scrambling Using a Bit Scrambler and a Phase Scrambler”; United States Patent
No.7,835,430 (the “430 patent”), which is entitled “Multicarrier Modulation Messaging for Frequency Domain
Received Idle Channel Noise Information”; United States Patent No. 8,238,412 (the “412 patent”), which is entitled
“Multicarrier Modulation Messaging for Power Level per Subchannel Information”; United States Patent No.
8,432,956 (the “956 patent”), which is entitled “Multicarrier Modulation Messaging for Power Level per Subchannel
Information”; and United States Patent No. 8,611,404 (the “404 patent”), which is entitled “Multicarrier Transmission
System with Low Power Sleep Mode and Rapid-On Capability.”
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DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
On September 9, 2015, TQ Delta filed a first amended complaint that added allegations of infringement of United
States Patent No. 9,094,268 (the “268 patent”), which is entitled “Multicarrier Transmission System With Low Power
Sleep Mode and Rapid-On Capability.” On May 16, 2016, TQ Delta filed a second amended complaint that added
EchoStar Corporation and its then wholly-owned subsidiary EchoStar Technologies L.L.C. as defendants. TQ Delta
alleges that our satellite TV service, Internet service, set-top boxes, gateways, routers, modems, adapters and networks
that operate in accordance with one or more Multimedia over Coax Alliance Standards infringe the asserted patents.
TQ Delta has filed actions in the same court alleging infringement of the same patents against Comcast Corp., Cox
Communications, Inc., DirecTV, Time Warner Cable Inc. and Verizon Communications, Inc. TQ Delta is an entity that
seeks to license an acquired patent portfolio without itself practicing any of the claims recited therein.
On July 14, 2016, TQ Delta stipulated to dismiss with prejudice all claims related to the 369 patent and the 956 patent.
On July 20, 2016, we filed petitions with the United States Patent and Trademark Office challenging the validity of all
of the patent claims of the 404 patent and the 268 patent that have been asserted against us. Third parties filed
petitions with the United States Patent and Trademark Office challenging the validity of all of the patent claims that
have been asserted against us in the action. On November 4, 2016, the United States Patent and Trademark Office
agreed to institute proceedings on the third-party petitions related to the 158 patent, the 243 patent, the 412 patent and
the 430 patent.
On December 20, 2016, pursuant to a stipulation of the parties, the Court stayed the case until the resolution of all
petitions to the United States Patent and Trademark Office challenging the validity of all of the patent claims at issue.
On January 19, 2017, the United States Patent and Trademark Office granted our motions to join the instituted
petitions on the 430 and 158 patents.
On February 9, 2017, the United States Patent and Trademark Office agreed to institute proceedings on our petition
related to the 404 patent, and on February 13, 2017, the United States Patent and Trademark Office agreed to institute
proceedings on our petition related to the 268 patent. On February 27, 2017, the United States Patent and Trademark
Office granted our motions to join the instituted petitions on the 243 and 412 patents. On October 26, 2017, the United
States Patent and Trademark Office issued final written decisions on the petitions challenging the 158 patent, the 243
patent, the 412 patent and the 430 patent, and it invalidated all of the asserted claims of those patents.
On February 7, 2018, the United States Patent and Trademark Office issued final written decisions on the petitions
challenging the 404 patent, and it invalidated all of the asserted claims of that patent on the basis of our petition. On
February 10, 2018, the United States Patent and Trademark Office issued a final written decision on our petition
challenging the 268 patent, and it invalidated all of the asserted claims.
On March 12, 2018, the United States Patent and Trademark Office issued a final written decision on a third-party
petition challenging the 268 patent, and it invalidated all of the asserted claims. All asserted claims have now been
invalidated by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. TQ Delta filed notices of appeal from the final written
decisions adverse to it. On May 9, 2019, the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed the
invalidity of the 430 patent and the 412 patent. On July 10, 2019, the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal
Circuit affirmed the invalidity of the asserted claims of the 404 patent. On July 15, 2019, the United States Court of
Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed the invalidity of the asserted claims of the 268 patent. On November 22,
2019, the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit reversed the invalidity finding on the 243 patent and
the 158 patent, and then, on March 29, 2020, denied a petition for panel rehearing as to those findings. On April 13,
2021, the Court lifted the stay, and the case is proceeding on the 243 patent and the 158 patent. On April 23 and April
26, 2021, the United States Patent and Trademark Office issued orders granting requests for ex parte reexamination of,
respectively, the 243 patent and the 158 patent, but on July 27, 2023, the United States Patent and Trademark Office
confirmed the challenged claims of the 243 patent. In a proposed supplemental report, TQ Delta’s damages expert
contends that TQ Delta is entitled to $251 million in damages.
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We intend to vigorously defend this case. In the event that a court ultimately determines that we infringe the asserted
patents, we may be subject to substantial damages, which may include treble damages, and/or an injunction that could
require us to materially modify certain features that we currently offer to consumers. We cannot predict with any
degree of certainty the outcome of the suit or determine the extent of any potential liability or damages.
Uniloc 2017 LLC
On January 31, 2019, Uniloc 2017 LLC (“Uniloc”) filed a complaint against our wholly-owned subsidiary Sling TV
L.L.C. in the United States District Court for the District of Colorado. The Complaint alleges infringement of United
States Patent No. 6,519,005 (the “005 patent”), which is entitled “Method of Concurrent Multiple-Mode Motion
Estimation for Digital Video”; United States Patent No. 6,895,118 (the “118 patent”), which is entitled “Method of
Coding Digital Image Based on Error Concealment”; United States Patent No. 9,721,273 (the “273 patent”), which is
entitled “System and Method for Aggregating and Providing Audio and Visual Presentations Via a Computer
Network”); and United States Patent No. 8,407,609 (the “609 patent”), which is entitled “System and Method for
Providing and Tracking the Provision of Audio and Visual Presentations Via a Computer Network.”
On June 25, 2019, Sling TV L.L.C. filed a petition with the United States Patent and Trademark Office challenging the
validity of all of the asserted claims of the 005 patent. On July 19, 2019 and July 22, 2019, respectively, Sling TV
L.L.C. filed petitions with the United States Patent and Trademark Office challenging the validity of all asserted claims
of the 273 patent and the 609 patent. On August 12, 2019, Sling TV L.L.C. filed a petition with the United States
Patent and Trademark Office challenging the validity of all of the asserted claims of the 118 patent. On October 18,
2019, pursuant to a stipulation of the parties, the Court entered a stay of the trial proceedings.
On January 9, 2020, the United States Patent and Trademark Office agreed to institute proceedings on the petition
challenging the 005 patent. On January 15, 2020, the United States Patent and Trademark Office agreed to institute
proceedings on the petition challenging the 273 patent. On February 4, 2020, the United States Patent and Trademark
Office agreed to institute proceedings on the petition challenging the 609 patent. On February 25, 2020, the United
States Patent and Trademark Office declined to institute proceedings on the petition challenging the 118 patent.
On December 28, 2020, the United States Patent and Trademark Office issued a final written decision upholding the
validity of the challenged claims of the 273 patent. Sling TV L.L.C. appealed that decision to the United States Court
of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and on February 2, 2022, the Federal Circuit vacated the final written decision and
remanded to the United States Patent and Trademark Office to reconsider its ruling. On remand, on September 7,
2022, the United States Patent and Trademark Office issued a revised final written decision finding all challenged
claims of the 273 patent invalid. On November 9, 2022, Uniloc filed a notice of appeal of that revised final written
decision and briefing was completed on August 11, 2023.
On January 5, 2021, the United States Patent and Trademark Office issued a final written decision invalidating all
challenged claims of the 005 patent. On January 19, 2021, the United States Patent and Trademark Office issued a
final written decision invalidating all challenged claims of the 609 patent (and a second final written decision
invalidating all challenged claims of the 609 patent based on a third party’s petition).
We intend to vigorously defend this case. In the event that a court ultimately determines that we infringe the asserted
patents, we may be subject to substantial damages, which may include treble damages, and/or an injunction that could
require us to materially modify certain features that we currently offer to consumers. We cannot predict with any
degree of certainty the outcome of the suit or determine the extent of any potential liability or damages. Uniloc is an
entity that seeks to license an acquired patent portfolio without itself practicing any of the claims recited therein.
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NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
Vermont National Telephone Company
On September 23, 2016, the United States District Court for the District of Columbia unsealed a qui tam complaint
that, on May 13, 2015, Vermont National filed against us; our wholly-owned subsidiaries, American AWS-3 Wireless I
L.L.C., American II, American III, and DISH Wireless Holding L.L.C.; Charles W. Ergen (our Chairman) and Cantey
M. Ergen (a member of our Board of Directors, at that time); Northstar Wireless; Northstar Spectrum; Northstar
Manager; SNR Wireless; SNR HoldCo; SNR Management; and certain other parties. The complaint alleges violations
of the federal civil False Claims Act (the “FCA”) based on, among other things, allegations that Northstar Wireless and
SNR Wireless falsely claimed bidding credits of 25% in the AWS-3 Auction when they were allegedly under the de
facto control of DISH Network and, therefore, were not entitled to the bidding credits as designated entities under
applicable FCC rules. Vermont National participated in the AWS-3 Auction through its wholly-owned subsidiary,
VTel Wireless. The complaint was unsealed after the United States Department of Justice notified the District Court
that it had declined to intervene in the action. Vermont National seeks to recover on behalf of the United States
government approximately $10 billion, which reflects the $3.3 billion in bidding credits that Northstar Wireless and
SNR Wireless claimed in the AWS-3 Auction, trebled under the FCA. Vermont National also seeks civil penalties of
not less than $5,500 and not more than $11,000 for each violation of the FCA. On March 2, 2017, the United States
District Court for the District of Columbia entered a stay of the litigation until such time as the United States Court of
Appeals for the District of Columbia (the “D.C. Circuit”) issued its opinion in SNR Wireless LicenseCo, LLC, et al. v.
F.C.C. The D.C. Circuit issued its opinion on August 29, 2017 and remanded the matter to the FCC for further
proceedings. See “Commitments – DISH Network Noncontrolling Investments in the Northstar Entities and the SNR
Entities Related to AWS-3 Wireless Spectrum Licenses” above for further information.
Thereafter, the District Court maintained the stay until October 26, 2018. On February 11, 2019, the District Court
granted Vermont National’s unopposed motion for leave to file an amended complaint. On March 28, 2019, the
defendants filed a motion to dismiss Vermont National’s amended complaint, and on March 23, 2021, the District
Court granted the motion to dismiss. On April 21, 2021, Vermont National filed a notice of appeal to the United States
Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit and, on May 17, 2022, that court reversed the District Court’s dismissal of the
complaint. On June 16, 2022, the Defendants-Appellees filed a petition for rehearing or rehearing en banc, but on
August 17, 2022, that petition was denied.
On August 25, 2023, the FCC provided a sworn declaration stating that “the FCC considers … SNR and Northstar to
have fully and timely satisfied their obligations to pay money to the Government arising from the AWS-3 Auction.”
On that basis, on September 22, 2023, the Defendants filed a motion seeking partial summary judgment of no
damages. On September 26, 2023, the Court denied the motion as premature. On March 8, 2024, the United States
filed a motion to exercise its statutory prerogative to intervene in the case for the purpose of moving to dismiss it with
prejudice, stating that the case is “unlikely to vindicate the United States’ interests and would needlessly expend the
Government’s and this Court’s resources.”
We intend to vigorously defend this case. We cannot predict with any degree of certainty the outcome of this
proceeding or determine the extent of any potential liability or damages.
Other
In addition to the above actions, we are subject to various other legal proceedings and claims that arise in the ordinary
course of business, including, among other things, disputes with programmers regarding fees. In our opinion, the
amount of ultimate liability with respect to any of these actions is unlikely to materially affect our financial condition,
results of operations or liquidity, though the outcomes could be material to our operating results for any particular
period, depending, in part, upon the operating results for such period.
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NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
14. Segment Reporting
Operating segments are components of an enterprise for which separate financial information is available and regularly
evaluated by the chief operating decision maker(s) of an enterprise. Operating income is the primary measure used by
our chief operating decision maker to evaluate segment operating performance. We currently operate three primary
business segments: (1) Pay-TV; (2) Retail Wireless and (3) 5G Network Deployment. See Note 1 for further
information.
All other and eliminations primarily include intersegment eliminations related to intercompany debt and the related
interest income and interest expense, which are eliminated in consolidation.
The total assets, revenue and operating income, and purchases of property and equipment (including capitalized
interest related to Regulatory authorizations) by segment were as follows:
Total assets:
Pay-TV
Retail Wireless
5G Network Deployment (1)
Eliminations (1)
Total assets
As of December 31,
2023
2022
(In thousands)
$
$
49,437,958
777,957
46,793,378
(45,596,262)
51,413,031
$
$
46,295,495
2,798,561
43,462,443
(39,949,937)
52,606,562
(1) The increase primarily resulted from intercompany advances for capital expenditures related to our 5G Network
Deployment.
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DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
5G Network Other &
All
Pay-TV Retail Wireless Deployment Eliminations
(In thousands)
Consolidated
Total
Year Ended December 31, 2023
Total revenue
Depreciation and amortization
Operating income (loss)
Interest income
Interest expense, net of amounts capitalized
Other, net
Income tax (provision) benefit, net
Net income (loss)
Year Ended December 31, 2022
Total revenue
Depreciation and amortization
Operating income (loss)
Interest income
Interest expense, net of amounts capitalized
Other, net
Income tax (provision) benefit, net
Net income (loss)
Year Ended December 31, 2021
Total revenue
Depreciation and amortization
Operating income (loss)
Interest income
Interest expense, net of amounts capitalized
Other, net
Income tax (provision) benefit, net
Net income (loss)
$
$
$
$ 11,571,159
381,292
2,699,810
2,604,599
(1,290,099)
74,114
(578,739)
3,509,685
$ 12,505,392
428,471
2,933,898
1,872,645
(1,036,829)
1,264
(911,955)
2,859,023
$ 12,928,707
538,836
3,075,579
1,346,502
(819,510)
(2,917)
(853,362)
2,746,292
$
$
$
3,692,372
221,968
(643,184)
27
(64,565)
(1,793,387)
201,091
(2,300,018)
4,135,129
177,914
(77,264)
5
(49,123)
1,012,147
(219,720)
666,045
4,897,205
176,833
343,785
6
(1,309)
26,695
(95,982)
273,195
91,928 $
620,685
(1,881,369)
3,041
(1,186,468)
(22,603)
749,310
(2,338,089)
(60,371) $ 15,295,088
1,181,921
(42,024)
175,257
—
105,416
(2,502,251)
(38,881)
2,502,251
(1,741,876)
—
371,662
—
(1,128,422)
—
65,768 $
131,566
(810,968)
(26,882) $ 16,679,407
717,073
(20,878)
2,045,666
—
42,776
— (1,829,874)
(22,781)
1,829,874
1,038,982
—
(731,736)
—
2,372,907
—
(766,703)
25,571
399,939
(1,152,161)
73,889 $
23,005
(216,329)
(18,695) $ 17,881,106
724,852
(13,822)
3,203,035
—
11,338
— (1,335,170)
(16,174)
1,335,170
20,557
—
(762,810)
—
2,455,946
—
(530,525)
(3,221)
186,534
(563,541)
Year Ended December 31, 2023
Purchases of property and equipment (including capitalized interest related to
regulatory authorizations)
Year Ended December 31, 2022
Purchases of property and equipment (including capitalized interest related to
regulatory authorizations)
Year Ended December 31, 2021
Purchases of property and equipment (including capitalized interest related to
regulatory authorizations)
Retail
Pay-TV Wireless Deployment
5G Network
Total
(In thousands)
$ 242,736 $
— $ 3,748,624
$ 3,991,360
$ 131,093 $
— $ 3,580,518
$ 3,711,611
$ 173,485 $
— $ 1,790,042
$ 1,963,527
Geographic Information. Revenue is attributed to geographic regions based upon the customer billing location. Long-
lived assets are associated with the geographic regions based upon the location where the asset resides. All revenue
was derived from North America, with all service revenue coming from the United States. Substantially all of our
long-lived assets reside in the United States.
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NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
The revenue from external customers disaggregated by major revenue source was as follows:
Category:
Pay-TV subscriber and related revenue
Retail wireless services and related revenue
Pay-TV equipment sales and other revenue
Retail wireless equipment sales and other revenue
5G network deployment equipment sales and other revenue
Eliminations
Total
15. Revenue Recognition
Contract Balances
2023
For the Years Ended December 31,
2022
(In thousands)
2021
$
$
11,385,961
3,337,240
185,198
355,132
91,928
(60,371)
15,295,088
$
$
12,360,601
3,653,909
144,791
481,220
65,768
(26,882)
16,679,407
$
$
12,787,485
4,142,883
141,222
754,322
73,889
(18,695)
17,881,106
Our valuation and qualifying accounts as of December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021 were as follows:
Balance at beginning of period
Current period provision for expected credit losses
Write-offs charged against allowance
Acquisitions
Balance at end of period
$
$
2023
For the Years Ended December 31,
2022
(In thousands)
$
2021
44,431
67,302
(57,742)
—
53,991
$
38,534 $
79,664
(73,845)
78
44,431 $
72,278
54,083
(87,919)
92
38,534
Contract liabilities arise when we bill our customers and receive consideration in advance of providing the service.
Contract liabilities are recognized as revenue when the service has been provided to the customer. Contract liabilities
are recorded in “Deferred revenue and other” and “Long-term deferred revenue and other long-term liabilities” on our
Consolidated Balance Sheets.
The following table summarizes our contract liability balances:
Contract liabilities
As of December 31,
2023
2022
$
(In thousands)
586,867 $
672,757
Our beginning of period contract liability recorded as customer contract revenue during 2023 was $642 million.
Performance Obligations
Pay-TV and Retail Wireless Segments
We apply a practical expedient and do not disclose the value of the remaining performance obligations for contracts
that are less than one year in duration, which represent a substantial majority of our revenue. As such, the amount of
revenue related to unsatisfied performance obligations is not necessarily indicative of our future revenue.
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DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
Contract Acquisition Costs
The following table presents the activity in our contract acquisition costs, net:
Balance at beginning of period
Additions
Amortization expense
Balance at end of period
2023
For the Years Ended December 31,
2022
(In thousands)
2021
$
$
381,401
278,077
(372,202)
287,276
$
$
458,006
346,577
(423,182)
381,401
$
$
456,255
393,109
(391,358)
458,006
16. Quarterly Financial Data (Unaudited)
Our quarterly results of operations are summarized as follows:
Year ended December 31, 2023:
Total revenue
Operating income (loss)
Net income (loss)
Net income (loss) attributable to DISH Network
Year ended December 31, 2022:
Total revenue
Operating income (loss)
Net income (loss)
Net income (loss) attributable to DISH Network
17. Related Party Transactions
For the Three Months Ended
March 31 June 30 September 30 December 31
(In thousands)
$ 3,956,982
323,423
243,238
222,705
$ 3,911,577
206,334
222,424
200,323
$ 4,330,620
550,360
448,846
432,651
$ 4,209,963
692,935
540,007
522,832
$
$
$
$
3,704,516
(41,806)
(116,839)
(139,185)
4,095,451
427,029
429,585
412,230
3,722,013
(312,694)
(1,477,245)
(1,496,066)
4,043,373
375,342
954,469
935,520
Related Party Transactions with EchoStar, our Parent.
On January 1, 2008, DISH Network completed the distribution of its technology and set-top box business and certain
infrastructure assets (the “Spin-off”) into a separate publicly-traded company, EchoStar. Following the Spin-off, DISH
Network and EchoStar operated as separate publicly-traded companies until the Merger on December 31, 2023. See
Note 1 for more information. After the Spin-off and prior to the Merger, we and EchoStar entered into certain
agreements pursuant to which we obtain certain products, services and rights from EchoStar and EchoStar obtains
certain products, services and rights from us.
On February 28, 2017, we and EchoStar and certain of our respective subsidiaries completed a transaction (the “Share
Exchange Agreement”) pursuant to which certain assets that were transferred to EchoStar in the Spin-off were
transferred back to us. On September 10, 2019, we and EchoStar and certain of our respective subsidiaries completed
the transactions contemplated by the Master Transaction Agreement (the “Master Transaction Agreement”) pursuant to
which certain assets that were transferred to EchoStar in the Spin-off were transferred back to us. On December 31,
2023, EchoStar completed the acquisition of DISH Network.
The following is a summary of the terms of our principal agreements with EchoStar that may have an impact on our
financial condition and results of operations.
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NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
“Trade accounts receivable”
As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, trade accounts receivable from EchoStar was $4 million and $1 million,
respectively. These amounts are recorded in “Trade accounts receivable” on our Consolidated Balance Sheets.
“Trade accounts payable”
As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, trade accounts payable to EchoStar was $13 million and $4 million, respectively.
These amounts are recorded in “Trade accounts payable” on our Consolidated Balance Sheets.
“Service revenue”
During the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, we received $5 million, $4 million and $4 million,
respectively, for services provided to EchoStar. These amounts are recorded in “Service revenue” on our Consolidated
Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss). The agreements pertaining to these revenues are
discussed below.
TT&C Agreement – Master Transaction Agreement. In September 2019, we entered into an agreement pursuant to
which we provide TT&C services to EchoStar for a period ending in September 2021, with the option for EchoStar to
renew for a one-year period upon written notice at least 90 days prior to the initial expiration (the “MTA TT&C
Agreement”). The fees for services provided under the MTA TT&C Agreement are calculated at either: (i) a fixed fee
or (ii) cost plus a fixed margin, which will vary depending on the nature of the services provided. Either party is able
to terminate the MTA TT&C Agreement for any reason upon 12 months’ notice. In June 2021, we amended the MTA
TT&C Agreement to extend the term until September 2022 and added the option for EchoStar to renew for three one-
year renewal terms. In August 2022, EchoStar exercised its first renewal option for a period ending in September
2023. In June 2023, EchoStar exercised its second renewal option for a period ending in September 2024.
“Equipment sales and other revenue”
During the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, we received $3 million, $2 million and $2 million,
respectively, for services provided to EchoStar. These amounts are recorded in “Equipment sales and other revenue”
on our Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss). The agreements pertaining to these
revenues are discussed below.
Real Estate Lease Agreements. We have entered into lease agreements pursuant to which we lease certain real estate to
EchoStar. The rent on a per square foot basis for each of the leases is comparable to per square foot rental rates of
similar commercial property in the same geographic areas, and EchoStar is responsible for its portion of the taxes,
insurance, utilities and maintenance of the premises. The term of each lease is set forth below:
● El Paso Lease Agreement. During 2012, we began leasing certain space at 1285 Joe Battle Blvd., El Paso,
Texas to EchoStar for an initial period ending on August 1, 2015, which also provides EchoStar with renewal
options for four consecutive three-year terms. During the second quarter of 2015, EchoStar exercised its first
renewal option for a period ending on August 1, 2018 and in April 2018 EchoStar exercised its second
renewal option for a period ending in July 2021 and in May 2021 EchoStar exercised its third renewal option
for a period ending in July 2024.
● 90 Inverness Lease Agreement. Effective March 1, 2017, EchoStar leases certain space from us at 90
Inverness Circle East, Englewood, Colorado for a period ending in February 2023. EchoStar has the option
to renew this lease for four three-year periods. EchoStar exercised its renewal option for a period ending in
February 2025.
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NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
● Cheyenne Lease Agreement. Effective March 1, 2017, EchoStar began leasing certain space from us at 530
EchoStar Drive, Cheyenne, Wyoming for a period ending in February 2019. In August 2018, EchoStar
exercised its option to renew this lease for a one-year period ending in February 2020. EchoStar has the
option to renew this lease for 12 one-year periods. During September 2019, we and EchoStar amended this
lease to provide EchoStar with certain space for a period ending in September 2023, with the option for
EchoStar to renew for a one-year period upon 180 days’ written notice prior to the end of the term. This
lease was not renewed and terminated in September 2023.
Collocation and Antenna Space Agreements. Effective March 1, 2017, we entered into certain agreements pursuant to
which we provide certain collocation and antenna space to HNS through February 2025 at the following locations:
Cheyenne, Wyoming; Gilbert, Arizona; Monee, Illinois; Englewood, Colorado; and Spokane, Washington. During
August 2017, we entered into certain other agreements pursuant to which we provide certain collocation and antenna
space to HNS through August 2022 at the following locations: Monee, Illinois and Spokane, Washington. HNS has
the option to renew each of these agreements for four three-year periods. HNS may terminate certain of these
agreements with 180 days’ prior written notice to us at the following locations: Englewood, Colorado; and Spokane,
Washington. The fees for the services provided under these agreements depend, among other things, on the number of
racks leased and/or antennas present at the location.
Also in September 2019, we entered into an agreement pursuant to which we provide HNS with antenna space and
power in Cheyenne, Wyoming for a period of five years commencing no later than October 2020, with four three-year
renewal terms, with prior written notice no more than 120 days but no less than 90 days prior to the end of the then-
current term.
“Cost of services”
During the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, we incurred $8 million, $12 million and $15 million,
respectively, of costs for services provided to us by EchoStar. These amounts are recorded in “Cost of services” on our
Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss). The agreements pertaining to these
expenses are discussed below.
Hughes Broadband Distribution Agreement. Effective October 1, 2012, dishNET Satellite Broadband L.L.C.
(“dishNET Satellite Broadband”), our indirect wholly-owned subsidiary, and HNS entered into a Distribution
Agreement (the “Distribution Agreement”) pursuant to which dishNET Satellite Broadband has the right, but not the
obligation, to market, sell and distribute the HNS satellite Internet service (the “Service”). dishNET Satellite
Broadband pays HNS a monthly per subscriber wholesale service fee for the Service based upon the subscriber’s
service level, and, beginning January 1, 2014, certain volume subscription thresholds. The Distribution Agreement
also provides that dishNET Satellite Broadband has the right, but not the obligation, to purchase certain broadband
equipment from HNS to support the sale of the Service. On February 20, 2014, dishNET Satellite Broadband and
HNS amended the Distribution Agreement which, among other things, extended the initial term of the Distribution
Agreement through March 1, 2024.
Thereafter, the Distribution Agreement automatically renews for successive one year terms unless either party gives
written notice of its intent not to renew to the other party at least 180 days before the expiration of the then-current
term. Upon expiration or termination of the Distribution Agreement, the parties will continue to provide the Service to
the then-current dishNET subscribers pursuant to the terms and conditions of the Distribution Agreement.
EchoStar IX. We leased certain satellite capacity from EchoStar on EchoStar IX. Subject to availability, we generally
had the right to continue to lease satellite capacity from EchoStar on EchoStar IX on a month-to-month basis. This
lease expired on December 31, 2022.
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NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
“Cost of sales – equipment and other”
During the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, we incurred $5 million, $5 million and $6 million,
respectively, for satellite hosting, operations and maintenance services as well as transmission of certain data. These
amounts are recorded in “Cost of sales – equipment and other” on our Consolidated Statements of Operations and
Comprehensive Income (Loss). The agreements pertaining to these expenses are discussed below.
DBSD North America Agreement. On March 9, 2012, we completed the DBSD Transaction. During the second
quarter of 2011, EchoStar acquired Hughes. Prior to our acquisition of DBSD North America and EchoStar’s
acquisition of Hughes, DBSD North America and HNS entered into an agreement pursuant to which HNS provides,
among other things, hosting, operations and maintenance services for DBSD North America’s satellite gateway and
associated ground infrastructure. This agreement generally may be terminated by us at any time for convenience.
TerreStar Agreements. On March 9, 2012, we completed the TerreStar Transaction. Prior to our acquisition of
substantially all the assets of TerreStar and EchoStar’s acquisition of Hughes, TerreStar and HNS entered into various
agreements pursuant to which HNS provides, among other things, hosting, operations and maintenance services for
TerreStar’s satellite gateway and associated ground infrastructure. These agreements generally may be terminated by
us at any time for convenience.
Hughes Equipment and Services Agreement. In February 2019, we and HNS entered into an agreement pursuant to
which HNS will provide us with HughesNet Service and HughesNet equipment for the transmission of certain data
related to our 5G Network Deployment. This agreement has an initial term of five years with automatic renewal for
successive one-year terms unless terminated by DISH Network with at least 180 days’ written notice to HNS or by
HNS with at least 365 days’ written notice to DISH Network.
“Selling, general and administrative expenses”
During the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, we incurred $12 million, $14 million and $19 million,
respectively, for selling, general and administrative expenses for services provided to us by EchoStar. These amounts
are recorded in “Selling, general and administrative expenses” on our Consolidated Statements of Operations and
Comprehensive Income (Loss). The agreements pertaining to these expenses are discussed below.
Real Estate Lease Agreements. We have entered into lease agreements pursuant to which we lease certain real estate
from EchoStar. The rent on a per square foot basis for each of the leases is comparable to per square foot rental rates
of similar commercial property in the same geographic area, and we are responsible for our portion of the taxes,
insurance, utilities and maintenance of the premises. The term of each lease is set forth below:
● Meridian Lease Agreement. We lease all of 9601 S. Meridian Blvd. in Englewood, Colorado for a period
ending on December 31, 2024.
● 100 Inverness Lease Agreement. Effective March 1, 2017, we lease certain space from EchoStar at 100
Inverness Terrace East, Englewood, Colorado for a period ending in December 2024. This agreement may be
terminated by either party upon 180 days’ prior notice.
Professional Services Agreement. Prior to 2010, we entered into various agreements with EchoStar including the
Transition Services Agreement, Satellite Procurement Agreement and Services Agreement, which all expired on
January 1, 2010 and were replaced by a Professional Services Agreement. During 2009, we and EchoStar agreed that
EchoStar shall continue to have the right, but not the obligation, to receive the following services from us, among
others, certain of which were previously provided under the Transition Services Agreement: information technology,
travel and event coordination, internal audit, legal, accounting and tax, benefits administration, program acquisition
services and other support services. Additionally, we and EchoStar agreed that we shall continue to have the right, but
not the obligation, to engage EchoStar to manage the process of procuring new satellite capacity for us and receive
logistics, procurement and quality assurance services from EchoStar and other support services.
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DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
On February 28, 2017, DISH Network and EchoStar amended the Professional Services Agreement to, among other
things, provide certain transition services to each other. In addition, we and EchoStar amended the Professional
Services Agreement effective September 10, 2019 to, among other things, provide certain transition services to each
other and to remove certain services no longer necessary. During March 2020, we and EchoStar added a service under
the Professional Services Agreement whereby we provide EchoStar with rights to use certain satellite capacity in
exchange for certain credits to amounts owed by us to EchoStar under the TerreStar Agreement described above. The
Professional Services Agreement renewed on January 1, 2024 for an additional one-year period until January 1, 2025
and renews automatically for successive one-year periods thereafter, unless terminated earlier by either party upon at
least 60 days’ notice. However, either party may terminate the Professional Services Agreement in part with respect to
any particular service it receives for any reason upon at least 30 days’ notice.
Revenue for services provided by us to EchoStar under the Professional Services Agreement is recorded in “Service
revenue” and “Equipment sales and other revenue” on our Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive
Income (Loss).
City of Hallandale. During the second quarter of 2021, we and the other named defendants entered into a global
settlement agreement with the City of Hallandale. On December 10, 2021, the court approved the settlement. Under
the settlement agreement, we contributed an immaterial amount to the settlement.
Other Agreements - EchoStar
Tax Sharing Agreement. We entered into a tax sharing agreement (the “Tax Sharing Agreement”) with EchoStar which
governs our respective rights, responsibilities and obligations after the Spin-off with respect to taxes for the periods
ending on or before the Spin-off. Generally, all pre-Spin-off taxes, including any taxes that are incurred as a result of
restructuring activities undertaken to implement the Spin-off, are borne by us, and we will indemnify EchoStar for
such taxes. However, we are not liable for and will not indemnify EchoStar for any taxes that are incurred as a result
of the Spin-off or certain related transactions failing to qualify as tax-free distributions pursuant to any provision of
Section 355 or Section 361 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”) because of: (i) a direct or
indirect acquisition of any of EchoStar’s stock, stock options or assets; (ii) any action that EchoStar takes or fails to
take; or (iii) any action that EchoStar takes that is inconsistent with the information and representations furnished to
the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) in connection with the request for the private letter ruling, or to counsel in
connection with any opinion being delivered by counsel with respect to the Spin-off or certain related transactions. In
such case, EchoStar is solely liable for, and will indemnify us for, any resulting taxes, as well as any losses, claims and
expenses. The Tax Sharing Agreement will only terminate after the later of the full period of all applicable statutes of
limitations, including extensions, or once all rights and obligations are fully effectuated or performed.
In light of the Tax Sharing Agreement, among other things, and in connection with our consolidated federal income tax
returns for certain tax years prior to and for the year of the Spin-off, during 2013, we and EchoStar agreed upon a
supplemental allocation of the tax benefits arising from certain tax items resolved in the course of the IRS’
examination of these consolidated tax returns. As a result, we agreed to pay EchoStar $82 million of the tax benefit we
received or will receive. Any payment to EchoStar, including accrued interest, will be made at such time as EchoStar
would have otherwise been able to realize such tax benefit. As of December 31, 2023, we have paid $13 million of the
tax benefit received, leaving $69 million remaining to be paid.
In addition, during 2013, we and EchoStar agreed upon a tax sharing arrangement for filing certain combined state
income tax returns and a method of allocating the respective tax liabilities between us and EchoStar for such combined
returns, through the taxable period ending on December 31, 2017 (the “State Tax Arrangement”). During the third
quarter of 2018, we and EchoStar amended the Tax Sharing Agreement and the 2013 agreements (the “Amendment”).
Under the Amendment, among other things, we are entitled to apply the benefit of EchoStar’s 2009 net operating
losses to our federal tax return for the year ended December 31, 2008, in exchange for paying EchoStar over time the
value of the net annual federal income taxes paid by EchoStar that would have been otherwise offset by their 2009 net
operating loss.
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NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
The Amendment also contained provisions related to the term of the State Tax Arrangement. As discussed in prior
filings, beginning in 2020, DISH Network and EchoStar no longer files a combined state tax return in any state. All
requirements under the State Tax Arrangement were fulfilled in 2022.
As a result of the Merger discussed above, DISH Network and EchoStar are analyzing requirements to determine if
combined returns are appropriate for tax years beginning in 2024.
Patent Cross-License Agreements. In December 2011, we and EchoStar entered into separate patent cross-license
agreements with the same third party whereby: (i) EchoStar and such third-party licensed their respective patents to
each other subject to certain conditions; and (ii) we and such third-party licensed our respective patents to each other
subject to certain conditions (each, a “Cross-License Agreement”). Each Cross License Agreement covers patents
acquired by the respective party prior to January 1, 2017 and aggregate payments under both Cross-License
Agreements total less than $10 million. In December 2016, we and EchoStar independently exercised our respective
options to extend each Cross-License Agreement to include patents acquired by the respective party prior to January 1,
2022.
Rovi License Agreement. On August 19, 2016, we entered into a ten-year patent license agreement (the “Rovi License
Agreement”) with Rovi Corporation (“Rovi”) and, for certain limited purposes, EchoStar. EchoStar is a party to the
Rovi License Agreement solely with respect to certain provisions relating to the prior patent license agreement
between EchoStar and Rovi. There are no payments between us and EchoStar under the Rovi License Agreement.
Hughes Broadband Master Services Agreement. In March 2017, DISH Network L.L.C. (“DNLLC”) and HNS entered
into the MSA pursuant to which DNLLC, among other things: (i) has the right, but not the obligation, to market,
promote and solicit orders for the Hughes broadband satellite service and related equipment; and (ii) installs Hughes
service equipment with respect to activations generated by DNLLC. Under the MSA, HNS will make certain
payments to DNLLC for each Hughes service activation generated, and installation performed, by DNLLC. Payments
from HNS for services provided are recorded in “Service revenue” on our Consolidated Statements of Operations and
Comprehensive Income (Loss). For the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, these payments were $2
million, $8 million and $9 million, respectively. The MSA has an initial term of five years with automatic renewal for
successive one year terms. After the first anniversary of the MSA, either party has the ability to terminate the MSA, in
whole or in part, for any reason upon at least 90 days’ notice to the other party. Upon expiration or termination of the
MSA, HNS will continue to provide the Hughes service to subscribers and make certain payments to DNLLC pursuant
to the terms and conditions of the MSA. For the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, we purchased
broadband equipment from HNS of zero, $7 million and $7 million, respectively, under the MSA.
Intellectual Property and Technology License Agreement – Share Exchange. Effective March 1, 2017, we and
EchoStar entered into an Intellectual Property and Technology License Agreement (“IPTLA”), pursuant to which we
and EchoStar license to each other certain intellectual property and technology. The IPTLA will continue in
perpetuity, unless mutually terminated by the parties. Pursuant to the IPTLA, EchoStar granted to us a license to its
intellectual property and technology for use by us, among other things, in connection with our continued operation of
the Transferred Businesses acquired pursuant to the Share Exchange Agreement, including a limited license to use the
“ECHOSTAR” trademark during a transition period. EchoStar retains full ownership of the “ECHOSTAR”
trademark. In addition, we granted a license back to EchoStar, among other things, for the continued use of all
intellectual property and technology transferred to us pursuant to the Share Exchange Agreement that is used in
EchoStar’s retained businesses.
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DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
Intellectual Property and Technology License Agreement – Master Transaction Agreement. Effective September 10,
2019, we and EchoStar entered into an IPTLA (the “MTA IPTLA”), pursuant to which we and EchoStar license to
each other certain intellectual property and technology. The MTA IPTLA will continue in perpetuity, unless mutually
terminated by the parties. Pursuant to the MTA IPTLA, EchoStar granted to us a license to its intellectual property and
technology for use by us, among other things, in connection with our continued operation of the BSS Business
acquired pursuant to the Master Transaction Agreement, including a limited license to use the “ESS” and
“ECHOSTAR SATELLITE SERVICES” trademarks during a transition period. EchoStar retains full ownership of the
“ESS” and “ECHOSTAR SATELLITE SERVICES” trademarks. In addition, we granted a license back to EchoStar,
among other things, for the continued use of all intellectual property and technology transferred to us pursuant to the
Master Transaction Agreement that is used in EchoStar’s retained businesses.
Related Party Transactions with NagraStar L.L.C.
We own a 50% interest in NagraStar, a joint venture that is our primary provider of encryption and related security
systems intended to assure that only authorized customers have access to our programming. Certain payments related
to NagraStar are recorded in “Cost of services” on our Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive
Income (Loss). In addition, certain other payments are initially included in “Inventory” and are subsequently
capitalized as “Property and equipment, net” on our Consolidated Balance Sheets or expensed as “Selling, general and
administrative expenses” or “Cost of services” on our Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive
Income (Loss) when the equipment is deployed. We record all payables in “Trade accounts payable” or “Other
accrued expenses and liabilities” on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. Our investment in NagraStar is accounted for
using the equity method.
The table below summarizes our transactions with NagraStar.
2023
For the Years Ended December 31,
2022
(In thousands)
2021
$
37,068
$
43,416
$
45,944
As of December 31,
2023
2022
(In thousands)
$
$
9,821
1,727
$
$
7,422
3,272
Purchases (including fees):
Purchases from NagraStar
Amounts Payable and Commitments:
Amounts payable to NagraStar
Commitments to NagraStar
18. Subsequent Events
Asset Transfers
On January 10, 2024, we transferred certain of our wireless spectrum licenses, including AWS-4, H-Block, CBRS, C-
Band - Cheyenne, 12GHz, LMDS, 24 GHz, 28 GHz, 37GHz, 39GHz and 47GHz to EchoStar Wireless Holding
L.L.C., EchoStar’s direct wholly-owned subsidiary (the “Spectrum Transfer”). We retained ownership of certain other
wireless spectrum licenses, including 600 MHz, 700 MHz, 3.45 GHz and AWS-3, of which 700 MHz and AWS-3
remain unencumbered, and DISH DBS. Prior to the Spectrum Transfer, DISH DBS designated a newly formed
subsidiary of DISH Network L.L.C. (the “DBS Subscriber Subsidiary”) as an unrestricted subsidiary. DBS Subscriber
Subsidiary holds approximately 3.0 million DISH TV subscribers immediately following the unrestricting of the entity.
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DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Continued
In addition, DISH DBS, in its capacity as “Lender” under the terms of the Loan and Security Agreement related to the
Intercompany Loan between DISH Network and DISH DBS, has consummated the assignment pursuant to such terms,
without any modification or amendment thereto, of its receivable in respect to the 2026 Tranche of $4.7 billion to DBS
Intercompany Receivable L.L.C. DBS Intercompany Receivable L.L.C. has subsequently assigned its rights as lender
thereunder to EchoStar Intercompany Receivable Company L.L.C., our parent, EchoStar’s direct wholly-owned
subsidiary, such that amounts owed in respect of the 2026 Tranche will now be paid by DISH Network to EchoStar
Intercompany Receivable L.L.C.
DISH Network Exchange Offers
On January 12, 2023, EchoStar commenced offers (“the DISH Network Exchange Offers”) to exchange the 0%
Convertible Notes due 2025 and the 3 3/8% Convertible Notes due 2026 issued by its subsidiary DISH Network, each
for 10.00% Senior Secured Notes due 2030 to be issued by EchoStar, in each case, pursuant to the terms described in a
preliminary prospectus and consent solicitation statement, dated January 12, 2024. On February 12, 2024, EchoStar
announced the expiration and termination of the DISH Exchange Offers.
DISH DBS Exchange Offers
On January 16, 2024, EchoStar announced its wholly-owned subsidiary DISH DBS Issuer LLC (“DBS Issuer”)
commenced offers (“the DISH DBS Exchange Offers”) to eligible holders to exchange the 5 7/8% Senior Notes due
2024 (the “DBS 2024 Notes”), the 7 3/4% Senior Notes due 2026, the 7 3/8% Senior Notes due 2028 (the “DBS 2028
Notes”) and the 5 1/8% Senior Notes due 2029 (the “DBS 2029 Notes,” and together with the DBS 2024 Notes, the
DBS 2026 Notes and the DBS 2028 Notes, the “DISH DBS Unsecured Senior Notes” issued by DISH DBS), in the
amounts and subject to the terms, in each case, described in the exchange offer memorandum and consent solicitation
statement, dated January 16, 2024 (the “Exchange Offer Memorandum”). On January 29, 2024, EchoStar announced
its wholly-owned subsidiary DISH DBS Issuer elected in its sole discretion to terminate the DBS Exchange Offers.
EchoStar Exchange Offer
On March 4, 2024, EchoStar commenced a tender offer to eligible employees (which excludes EchoStar’s and our co-
founders and the independent members of EchoStar’s Board of Directors) to exchange eligible stock options (which
excludes the Ergen 2020 Performance Award) for new options as detailed in its 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.
Asset Sale to EchoStar
On March 12, 2024, we sold our wholly-owned subsidiary which holds the 700 MHz Spectrum to a wholly-owned
subsidiary of our parent, EchoStar, for approximately $1 billion. The proceeds were used to pay the remaining balance
of $951 million on our 2 3/8% Convertible Note which matured on March 15, 2024.
F-94
DISH NETWORK CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
LIST OF SUBSIDIARIES
As of December 31, 2023
Exhibit 21
Subsidiary
DISH DBS Corporation
DISH Network L.L.C.
DISH Wireless Holding L.L.C.
DISH Wireless L.L.C.
State or
Country
of Incorporation
Colorado
Colorado
Colorado
Colorado
Name Doing Business As
DDBS
% of
Ownership
100%
100% (1) DNLLC
DISH Wireless
100%
100% (2) DISH Wireless
(1) This is a subsidiary of DISH DBS Corporation
(2) This is a subsidiary of DISH Wireless Holding L.L.C.
EXHIBIT 31.1
CERTIFICATION OF CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Section 302 Certification
I, Hamid Akhavan, certify that:
1.
I have reviewed this Annual Report on Form 10-K of DISH Network Corporation;
2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material
fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not
misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;
3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present
in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the
periods presented in this report;
4. The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls
and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial
reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:
a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be
designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its
consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in
which this report is being prepared;
b) Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to
be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting
and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting
principles;
c) Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our
conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered
by this report based on such evaluation; and
d) Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during
the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that
has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial
reporting; and
5. The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control
over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or
persons performing the equivalent functions):
a) All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial
reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and
report financial information; and
b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in
the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.
Date: March 29, 2024
/s/ Hamid Akhavan
President and Chief Executive Officer
EXHIBIT 31.2
CERTIFICATION OF CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
Section 302 Certification
I, Paul W. Orban, certify that:
1.
I have reviewed this Annual Report on Form 10-K of DISH Network Corporation;
2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material
fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not
misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;
3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present
in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the
periods presented in this report;
4. The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls
and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial
reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:
a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be
designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its
consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in
which this report is being prepared;
b) Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to
be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting
and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting
principles;
c) Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our
conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered
by this report based on such evaluation; and
d) Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during
the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that
has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial
reporting; and
5. The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control
over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or
persons performing the equivalent functions):
a) All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial
reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and
report financial information; and
b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in
the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.
Date: March 29, 2024
/s/ Paul W. Orban
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, DISH
CERTIFICATION OF CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Section 906 Certification
EXHIBIT 32.1
Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 1350, the undersigned officer of DISH Network Corporation (the “Company”) hereby certifies that
to the best of his knowledge the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 (the
“Report”) fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d), as applicable, of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934 and that the information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and
results of operations of the Company.
Dated: March 29, 2024
Name:/s/ Hamid Akhavan
Title: President and Chief Executive Officer
The foregoing certification is being furnished solely pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 1350 and is not being filed as part of the
Report or as a separate disclosure document.
A signed original of this written statement required by Section 906, or other document authenticating, acknowledging, or
otherwise adopting the signature that appears in typed form within the electronic version of this written statement required
by Section 906, has been provided to the Company and will be retained by the Company and furnished to the Securities and
Exchange Commission or its staff upon request.
CERTIFICATION OF CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
Section 906 Certification
EXHIBIT 32.2
Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 1350, the undersigned officer of DISH Network Corporation (the “Company”) hereby certifies that
to the best of his knowledge the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 (the
“Report”) fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d), as applicable, of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934 and that the information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and
results of operations of the Company.
Dated: March 29, 2024
Name:/s/ Paul W. Orban
Title: Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer,
DISH
The foregoing certification is being furnished solely pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 1350 and is not being filed as part of the
Report or as a separate disclosure document.
A signed original of this written statement required by Section 906, or other document authenticating, acknowledging, or
otherwise adopting the signature that appears in typed form within the electronic version of this written statement required
by Section 906, has been provided to the Company and will be retained by the Company and furnished to the Securities and
Exchange Commission or its staff upon request.