Long-Term Debt and Finance Lease Obligations

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2024

Long-Term Debt and Finance Lease Obligations

Long-Term Debt and Finance Lease Obligations

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 March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023:


		As of
		March 31, 2024				December 31, 2023
	Issuer	Carrying Amount		Fair Value		Carrying Amount		Fair Value

		(In thousands)
2 3/8% Convertible Notes due 2024 (1)	DISH	$	—	$	—	$	951,168	$	944,034
5 7/8% Senior Notes due 2024	DDBS		1,982,544		1,905,621		1,982,544		1,872,275
0% Convertible Notes due 2025	DISH		1,957,197		1,418,968		1,957,197		1,228,141
7 3/4% Senior Notes due 2026	DDBS		2,000,000		1,390,000		2,000,000		1,388,060
5 1/4% Senior Secured Notes due 2026	HSSC		750,000		625,200		750,000		665,678
6 5/8% Senior Notes due 2026	HSSC		750,000		445,875		750,000		591,525
3 3/8% Convertible Notes due 2026	DISH		2,908,801		1,830,799		2,908,801		1,570,753
5 1/4% Senior Secured Notes due 2026	DDBS		2,750,000		2,158,750		2,750,000		2,366,073
11 3/4% Senior Secured Notes due 2027	DISH		3,500,000		3,578,750		3,500,000		3,668,980
7 3/8% Senior Notes due 2028	DDBS		1,000,000		489,200		1,000,000		600,160
5 3/4% Senior Secured Notes due 2028	DDBS		2,500,000		1,718,750		2,500,000		2,013,125
5 1/8% Senior Notes due 2029	DDBS		1,500,000		629,250		1,500,000		774,600
Other notes payable			146,513		146,513		160,158		160,158
Subtotal			21,745,055	$	16,337,676		22,709,868	$	17,843,562
Unamortized deferred financing costs and other debt discounts, net			(66,115)				(69,606)
Finance lease obligations (2)			108,524				123,658
Total long-term debt and finance lease obligations (including current portion)		$	21,787,464			$	22,763,920

(1)	We repurchased or redeemed the principal balance of our 2 3/8% Convertible Notes due 2024 as of March 15, 2024, the instrument’s maturity date.

(2)	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).

Convertible Notes

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 our 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 our 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, we will settle our conversion obligation in cash, shares of our Class A common stock or a combination of cash and shares of our Class A common stock, at our 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.

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 our 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 our 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, we will settle our conversion obligation in cash, shares of our Class A common stock or a combination of cash and shares of our Class A common stock, at our election.

Convertible Note Hedge and Warrant Transactions

Merger with DISH Network. As defined and detailed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, in connection with the completion of the Merger, on December 31, 2023, we and DISH Network entered into a note hedge amendment letter agreement with each option counterparty pursuant to which, at the Effective Time, DISH Network’s 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 DISH Network 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 we guaranteed all of DISH Network’s 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 DISH Network Class A Common Stock underlying the Convertible Notes due 2026, which initially gives us the option to purchase approximately 46 million shares of DISH Network 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 DISH Network Class A common stock, which initially gives the option counterparties the option to purchase approximately 46 million shares of DISH Network 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.

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.

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. In January 2024, we completed a series of assignments resulting in the transfer of the receivable in respect to the 2026 Tranche from DISH DBS to EchoStar Intercompany Receivable Company L.L.C., our 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 Company L.L.C.

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 from the issuance date of November 2021. After two years post issuance date, 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 March 31, 2024, the total Intercompany Loan amount outstanding plus interest paid in kind was $7.496 billion. For the three months ended March 31, 2024, there were no interest payments for the Intercompany Loan paid in cash.

The Intercompany Loan is secured by Weminuche’s interest in the wireless spectrum licenses for the 3.45-3.55 GHz Licenses with such cash proceeds up to the total loan amount outstanding including interest paid in kind. 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.