Launch of Exchange Offers Satisfies Key
Milestone in Implementation of EchoStar's Balance Sheet
Optimization Transactions and Increased Support from Existing
Stakeholders Now Representing Over 90% of DISH's Approximately
$5 Billion of Existing Convertible
Notes Satisfies Minimum Tender Condition
ENGLEWOOD, Colo., Oct. 10,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- EchoStar Corporation (Nasdaq:
SATS) ("EchoStar"), a global, fully integrated communication
and content delivery leader and provider of technology, spectrum,
engineering, manufacturing, networking services, television
entertainment and connectivity, today announced that it has
commenced offers to exchange (the "exchange offers")
(i) any and all of the 0% Convertible Notes due 2025 (the
"DISH Network 2025 Notes") issued by its subsidiary DISH
Network Corporation ("DISH") and (ii) any and all of
the 3.375% Convertible Notes due 2026 issued by DISH (the "DISH
Network 2026 Notes," and together with the DISH Network 2025
Notes, the "Existing DISH Notes"), for the applicable
principal amount of 6.75% Senior Secured Notes due 2030 (the
"EchoStar Exchange Notes") and 3.875% Convertible Secured
Notes due 2030 (the "EchoStar Convertible Notes" and
together with the EchoStar Exchange Notes, the "EchoStar
Notes") to be issued by EchoStar set forth in the table below,
in each case, pursuant to the terms described in a preliminary
prospectus and consent solicitation statement, dated October 10, 2024 (the "Preliminary Exchange
Offer Prospectus").
As previously disclosed, EchoStar and certain of its
subsidiaries entered into a transaction support agreement (the
"Transaction Support Agreement") with certain eligible
holders of the DISH Network 2025 Notes and the DISH Network
2026 Notes, which now collectively represent over 90% of the
aggregate principal amount outstanding of the Existing DISH Notes,
pursuant to which, such eligible holders have agreed, subject to
the terms and conditions set forth therein, to tender their
Existing DISH Notes in the exchange offers. Tenders by such
supporting eligible holders party to the Transaction Support
Agreement will satisfy the Minimum Tender Condition to the exchange
offers.
The following table describes certain terms of the exchange
offers:
Title of Existing
DISH Notes
|
|
CUSIP/ISIN
Number(1)
|
|
Principal Amount
Outstanding(2)
|
|
|
Exchange
Consideration(3)
|
|
0% Convertible
Notes
due 2025
|
|
25470MAF6/US2547MAF68
|
|
$
|
1,957,197,000
|
|
|
|
$524.30 of EchoStar
Exchange Notes and
$400.70 of EchoStar
Convertible Notes
|
|
3.375% Convertible
Notes
due 2026
|
|
25470MAB5/US2547MAB54
|
|
$
|
2,908,799,000
|
|
|
|
$465.90 of EchoStar
Exchange Notes and
$400.70 of EchoStar
Convertible Notes
|
|
|
|
(1)No
representation is made as to the correctness or accuracy of the
CUSIP or ISIN numbers listed in this press release or printed on
the Existing DISH Notes. They are provided solely for
convenience.
|
|
|
(2)Net of
$42,803,000 and $91,199,000 of DISH Network 2025 Notes and DISH
Network 2026 Notes, respectively, that are held by DISH and not
deemed outstanding.
|
|
|
(3)Consideration in the form of principal
amount of EchoStar Notes per $1,000 principal amount of Existing
DISH Notes that are validly tendered and accepted for exchange,
subject to any rounding as described herein. Excludes accrued
interest, which will be paid in cash in addition to the Exchange
Consideration, as applicable.
|
The EchoStar Notes will be guaranteed by certain of EchoStar's
subsidiaries, and such guarantees will be secured equally and
ratably with certain other secured indebtedness on a first-priority
basis, subject to permitted liens and certain exceptions, and
subject to a first lien intercreditor agreement, by (i) a lien on
all licenses, authorizations and permits issued from time to time
by the FCC for use of the AWS-3 Spectrum and for the use of
the AWS-4 Spectrum (the "Spectrum Assets") held by certain
of EchoStar's subsidiaries that, on or after the date of issuance
of the EchoStar Notes, hold any Spectrum Assets (each, a
"Spectrum Assets Guarantor"); (ii) the proceeds of any
Spectrum Assets; and (iii) a lien on the equity interests held by
an entity that directly owns any equity interests in any Spectrum
Assets Guarantor. The EchoStar Notes will not have recourse to any
assets of any other subsidiary of EchoStar other than as set forth
above.
Concurrently with the exchange offers, EchoStar is also
soliciting consents from holders of each series of the Existing
DISH Notes to amend the terms of the applicable series of Existing
DISH Notes and the indentures governing such Existing DISH Notes
to, among other things, eliminate certain events of default
(including any cross-defaults related to any payment, bankruptcy or
other defaults of any DISH subsidiary) and substantially all of the
restrictive covenants in each such indenture and the Existing DISH
Notes of the applicable series, including, but not limited to, the
merger covenant, the reporting covenant and to make certain
conforming changes to each such indenture and the Existing DISH
Notes of the applicable series to reflect the proposed amendments
(the "Proposed Amendments"). Holders may not consent to the
Proposed Amendments without tendering the applicable Existing DISH
Notes in the relevant exchange offer, and holders may not tender
Existing DISH Notes of any series for exchange without consenting
to the Proposed Amendments for such series.
Each exchange offer and consent solicitation is a separate offer
and/or solicitation, and each may be individually amended,
extended, terminated or withdrawn, subject to certain conditions
and applicable law, at any time in EchoStar's sole discretion, and
without amending, extending, terminating or withdrawing any other
exchange offer or consent solicitation. Additionally,
notwithstanding any other provision of the exchange offers,
EchoStar's obligations to accept and exchange any of the Existing
DISH Notes validly tendered pursuant to an exchange offer is
subject to the satisfaction or waiver of certain conditions, as
described in the Registration Statement, and EchoStar expressly
reserves its right, subject to applicable law, to terminate any
exchange offer and/or consent solicitation at any time.
The exchange offers and consent solicitations will expire one
minute after 11:59 p.m., New York City time, on November 7, 2024,
or any other date and time to which EchoStar extends such period
for such exchange offer or consent solicitation in its sole
discretion (such date and time for such exchange offer or consent
solicitation, as it may be extended, the "Expiration Date").
To be eligible to receive the applicable exchange consideration in
the applicable exchange offer and consent solicitation, holders
must validly tender and not validly withdraw their Existing DISH
Notes and validly deliver and not revoke their consents at or prior
to the Expiration Date. Holders may withdraw tendered Existing DISH
Notes at any time prior to the Expiration Date. Any Existing DISH
Notes withdrawn pursuant to the terms of the applicable exchange
offer and consent solicitation shall not thereafter be considered
tendered for any purpose unless and until such notes are again
tendered pursuant to the applicable exchange offer and consent
solicitation. Existing DISH Notes not exchanged in the exchange
offers and consent solicitations will be returned to the tendering
holder at EchoStar's expense promptly after the expiration or
termination of the exchange offers and consent solicitations.
A registration statement on Form S-4 relating to the
EchoStar Notes (the "Registration Statement") has been filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") but
has not yet become effective. The consummation of each exchange
offer and consent solicitation is subject to, and conditional upon,
the satisfaction or, where permitted, waiver of certain conditions
including, among other things, the effectiveness of the
Registration Statement, and at least 90% of the outstanding
principal amount of the applicable series of Existing DISH Notes
being validly tendered and not properly withdrawn prior to the
Expiration Date (the "Minimum Tender Condition"), which will
be satisfied with the participation from the eligible holders party
to the Transaction Support Agreement. All conditions to each
exchange offer and consent solicitation must be satisfied or, where
permitted, waived, on or prior to the Expiration Date. For the
avoidance of doubt, EchoStar reserves the right to waive in its
sole and absolute discretion the Minimum Tender Condition and
accept any and all Existing DISH Notes validly tendered and not
validly withdrawn at or prior to the expiration date.
D.F. King & Co., Inc. is acting as exchange agent
and information agent for the exchange offers and consent
solicitations.
This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or
exchange or the solicitation of an offer to buy or exchange any
securities, nor shall there be any exchange of the EchoStar Notes
for Existing DISH Notes pursuant to the exchange offers and consent
solicitations in any jurisdiction in which such exchanges would be
unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the laws of
such jurisdiction.
About EchoStar Corporation
EchoStar Corporation (Nasdaq: SATS) is a global fully integrated
communications and content delivery leader and provider of
technology, spectrum, engineering, manufacturing, networking
services, television entertainment and connectivity, offering
consumer, enterprise, operator and government solutions worldwide
under its EchoStar®, Boost Mobile®, Sling TV, DISH TV™, Hughes®,
HughesNet®, HughesON™, and JUPITER™ brands. In Europe, EchoStar operates under its EchoStar
Mobile Limited subsidiary and in Australia, the company operates as EchoStar
Global Australia. For more information, visit www.echostar.com and
follow EchoStar on X (Twitter) and LinkedIn.
©2024 EchoStar. Hughes, HughesNet, DISH and Boost Mobile are
registered trademarks of one or more affiliate companies of
EchoStar Corp.
Where You Can Find Additional Information
As noted above, further details regarding the terms and
conditions of the exchange offers and consent solicitations,
including descriptions of the EchoStar Notes and the material
differences between the EchoStar Notes and the Existing DISH Notes,
can be found in the registration statement that has been filed with
the SEC but has not yet become effective, and in a tender offer
statement on Schedule TO that has been filed with the SEC. The
securities subject to the registration statement may not be issued
and sold prior to the time the registration statement becomes
effective. ANY INVESTOR HOLDING EXISTING DISH NOTES IS URGED TO
READ THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT, THE TENDER OFFER STATEMENT AND
OTHER DOCUMENTS ECHOSTAR HAS FILED OR WILL FILE WITH THE SEC
BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE ISSUER AND THE
OFFERING.
The registration statement, the tender offer statement and other
related documents, when filed, can be obtained for free from the
SEC's website at www.sec.gov. Documents are also available for free
upon oral request made to EchoStar at (303) 706-4000 or written
request made to EchoStar Corporation, Attention: Investor
Relations, 100 Inverness Terrace East, Englewood, Colorado 80112 and from EchoStar's
website at www.echostar.com.
Holders can also request copies of the offering materials by
contacting D.F. King & Co., Inc. by sending an email
to DISH@dfking.com or by calling (866) 340-7108 (U.S. toll-free) or
(212) 269-5550 (banks and brokers).
Forward-looking Statements
This document contains "forward-looking statements" within the
meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995,
Section 27A of the Securities Act, and Section 21E of the
Exchange Act, including, in particular, statements about plans,
objectives and strategies, growth opportunities in our industries
and businesses, our expectations regarding future results,
financial condition, liquidity and capital requirements, 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
hereof 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. Additional information
concerning these risk factors is contained in each of EchoStar's
and DISH Network's most recently filed Annual Report on
Form 10-K and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q,
and in EchoStar's subsequent Current Reports on Form 8-K, and
other SEC filings. All cautionary statements made or referred to
herein should be read as being applicable to all forward-looking
statements wherever they appear. You 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. We do
not undertake, and specifically disclaim, any obligation to
publicly release the results of any revisions that may be made to
any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new
information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
Should one or more of the risks or uncertainties described herein
or in any documents we file with the SEC occur, or should
underlying assumptions prove incorrect, our actual results and
plans could differ materially from those expressed in any
forward-looking statements.
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SOURCE EchoStar Corporation