EchoStar 2015 10-K Annual Report

10-K 1 a15-23459_310k.htm 10-K

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

Form 10-K

(Mark One)

x ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2015

OR

o TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 FOR THE TRANSITION PERIOD FROM TO .

Commission file number: 001-33807

EchoStar Corporation

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (303) 706-4000

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes x No o

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 o No x

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. Yes x No o

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted 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 and post such files). Yes x No o

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K (§229.405 of this chapter) is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. o

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes o No x

As of June 30, 2015, the aggregate market value of Class A common stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant was $2.16 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 that date.

As of February 16, 2016, the registrant’s outstanding common stock consisted of 45,563,639 shares of Class A common stock and 47,687,039 shares of Class B common stock, each $0.001 par value.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

The following documents are incorporated into this Form 10-K by reference:

Portions of the registrant’s definitive Proxy Statement to be filed in connection with its 2016 Annual Meeting of Shareholders are incorporated by reference in Part III.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DISCLOSURE REGARDING FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

This Annual Report on Form 10-K (“Form 10-K”) contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including but not limited to statements about our estimates, expectations, plans, objectives, strategies, and financial condition, expected impact of regulatory developments and legal proceedings, opportunities in our industries and businesses and other trends and projections for the next fiscal quarter and beyond. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, may be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements may also be identified by words such as “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “goal,” “seek,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “predict,” “continue,” “future,” “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 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 potential known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which may be beyond our control and may pose a risk to our operating and financial condition. 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:

· our reliance on our primary customer, DISH Network Corporation and its subsidiaries (“DISH Network”), for a significant portion of our revenue;

· our ability to implement our strategic initiatives;

· the impact of variable demand and the adverse pricing environment for digital set-top boxes;

· dependence on our ability to successfully manufacture and sell our digital set-top boxes in increasing volumes on a cost-effective basis and with acceptable quality;

· our ability to bring advanced technologies to market to keep pace with our customers and competitors;

· risk related to our foreign operations and other uncertainties associated with doing business internationally, including changes in foreign exchange rates between foreign currencies and the United States dollar;

· significant risks related to the construction, launch and operation of our satellites, such as the risk of material malfunction on one or more of our satellites, changes in the space weather environment that could interfere with the operation of our satellites, and our general lack of commercial insurance coverage on our satellites;

· our failure to adequately anticipate the need for satellite capacity or the inability to obtain satellite capacity for our Hughes segment; and

· the failure of third-party providers of components, manufacturing, installation services and customer support services to appropriately deliver the contracted goods or services.

Other factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, those discussed in Part I, Item 1A. — Risk Factors and Item 7. — Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations of this Form 10-K and those discussed in other documents we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”).

All cautionary statements made herein should be read as being applicable to all forward-looking statements wherever they appear. Investors should consider the risks and uncertainties described herein and should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. 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.

i

PART I

OVERVIEW

EchoStar Corporation (which, together with its subsidiaries, is referred to as “EchoStar,” the “Company,” “we,” “us” and/or “our”) is a holding company that was organized in October 2007 as a corporation under the laws of the State of Nevada. We are a global provider of satellite operations, video delivery solutions, digital set-top boxes, and broadband satellite technologies and services for home and office, delivering innovative network technologies, managed services, and solutions for enterprises and governments. Our Class A common stock is publicly traded on the Nasdaq Global Select Market (“Nasdaq”) under the symbol “SATS.”

We currently operate in the following three business segments:

· Hughes — which provides satellite broadband internet access to North American consumers and broadband network services and equipment to domestic and international enterprise markets. The Hughes segment also provides managed services to large enterprises and solutions to customers for mobile satellite systems.

· EchoStar Technologies (“ETC”) — which designs, develops and distributes secure end-to-end video technology solutions including digital set-top boxes and related products and technology, primarily for satellite TV service providers and telecommunication companies. Our EchoStar Technologies segment also provides digital broadcast operations, including satellite uplinking/downlinking, transmission services, signal processing, conditional access management, and other services, primarily to DISH Network Corporation and its subsidiaries (“DISH Network”) and Dish Mexico, S. de R.L. de C.V. (“Dish Mexico”), a joint venture we entered into in 2008. In addition, we provide our TV Anywhere technology through Slingbox® units directly to consumers via retail outlets and online, as well as to the pay-TV operator market. Beginning in 2015, this segment also includes Move Networks, our over-the-top (“OTT”), Streaming Video on Demand (“SVOD”) platform business, which includes assets acquired from Sling TV Holding L.L.C. (formerly DISH Digital Holding L.L.C.) (“Sling TV Holding”), and primarily provides support services to DISH Network’s Sling TV™ operations. In 2016, we plan to introduce a security and home automation solution provided directly to consumers.

· EchoStar Satellite Services (“ESS”) — which uses certain of our owned and leased in-orbit satellites and related licenses to provide satellite services on a full-time and occasional-use basis primarily to DISH Network, Dish Mexico, United States (“U.S.”) government service providers, internet service providers, broadcast news organizations, programmers, and private enterprise customers.

Our operations also include real estate and other activities that have not been assigned to our operating segments, including, costs incurred in certain satellite development programs and other business development activities, expenses of various corporate departments, and our centralized treasury operations, including, income from our investment portfolio and interest expense on our debt. These activities are accounted for in the “All Other and Eliminations” column in Note 17 in the notes to consolidated financial statements in Item 15 of this report.

In 2008, DISH Network completed its distribution to us of its digital set-top box business, certain infrastructure, and other assets and related liabilities, including certain of its satellites, uplink and satellite transmission assets, and real estate (the “Spin-off”). Since the Spin-off, EchoStar and DISH Network have operated as separate publicly-traded companies. However, as a result of the Satellite and Tracking Stock Transaction, described in Note 4 in the notes to consolidated financial statements in Item 15 of this report, DISH Network owns shares of our and our subsidiary’s preferred tracking stock representing an aggregate 80.0% economic interest in the residential retail satellite broadband business of our Hughes segment. In addition, a substantial majority of the voting power of the shares of DISH Network and EchoStar is owned beneficially by Charles W. Ergen, our Chairman, and by certain trusts established by Mr. Ergen for the benefit of his family.

BUSINESS STRATEGIES

Capitalize on demand for broadband services. We intend to capitalize on the global demand for satellite-delivered broadband services and enterprise solutions by utilizing, among other things, our industry expertise, technology leadership, satellite capacity, access to spectrum resources, and high-quality, reliable service to continue growth in consumer subscribers and the enterprise market.

Expand satellite capacity and related infrastructure. We expect that our expertise in the identification, acquisition and development of satellite spectrum and orbital rights and satellite operations, together with existing or acquired infrastructure, will provide opportunities to enter new international markets. We believe market opportunities exist that will facilitate the acquisition or leasing of additional satellite capacity which will enable us to provide services to a broader customer base, including providers of pay-TV services, satellite-delivered broadband, corporate communications, and government services.

Continue development of S-band and other hybrid spectrum resources. We believe we are in a unique position to deploy a European wide mobile satellite service (“MSS”)/complementary ground component (“CGC”) network and maximize the long-term value of our S-band spectrum, in Europe and other regions within the scope of our licenses. We will also continue to explore development of S-band similar spectrum assets in additional international markets,

Exploit our video delivery expertise. With our extensive experience in designing, developing, and operating video delivery systems for satellite direct-to-home (“DTH”) and internet streaming, we believe we can leverage the broader adoption of advanced technologies such as placeshifting functionality, hybrid internet offerings and other in-home solutions to create opportunities for us. Therefore, we continue to explore opportunities, including partnerships, joint ventures and strategic acquisitions, to expand our existing markets or enter new markets. In addition, we intend to seek opportunities to license our technology to other original equipment manufacturers and pay-TV providers.

Develop improved and new technologies. Our engineering capabilities provide us with the opportunity to develop and deploy cutting edge technologies, license our technologies to others, and maintain a leading technological position in the industries in which we are active. We also intend to develop and launch next generation media and content delivery platforms such as our Move Networks business and our security and home automation products and services.

BUSINESS SEGMENTS

HUGHES SEGMENT

Our Products and Services

Our Hughes segment is a global provider of broadband satellite technologies and services for the home and office, delivering innovative network technologies, managed services, and solutions for consumers, enterprises and governments.

Our Hughes segment uses its two owned satellites, the SPACEWAY 3 satellite and the EchoStar XVII satellite, and additional satellite capacity acquired from multiple third-party providers, to provide satellite broadband internet access to North American consumers, which we refer to as the consumer market, and broadband network services and equipment to domestic and international enterprise markets. Our Hughes segment also provides managed services and equipment to large enterprises and solutions to customers for mobile satellite systems. We incorporate advances in technology to reduce costs and to increase the functionality and reliability of our products and services. Through the usage of advanced spectrally efficient modulation and coding methodologies, pro

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The risks and uncertainties described below are not the only ones facing us. If any of the following events occur, our business, financial condition, results of operation, prospects or ability to fund a share repurchase program, invest capital in our business or return capital to our shareholders could be materially and adversely affected.

GENERAL RISKS AFFECTING OUR BUSINESS

We currently derive a significant portion of our revenue from our primary customer, DISH Network. The loss of, or a significant reduction in, orders from, or a decrease in selling prices of digital set-top boxes, broadband equipment and services, provision of satellite services and digital broadcast services, and/or other products, components or services to DISH Network would significantly reduce our revenue and materially adversely impact our results of operations.

DISH Network accounted for 53.5%, 57.3% and 58.8% of our total revenue for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively. DISH Network is currently our primary customer of digital set-top boxes, digital broadcast operation services and our satellite services. These products and services are provided pursuant to contracts that expire on December 31, 2016. DISH Network is also a wholesale distributor of the Hughes satellite internet service, and in connection with such wholesale distribution, purchases certain broadband equipment from us to support the sale of the Hughes service. In addition, DISH Network has no obligations to continue to purchase our products and only certain obligations to continue to purchase certain of our services. Therefore, our relationship with DISH Network could be terminated or substantially curtailed with little or no advance notice. Any material reduction in or termination of our sales to DISH Network or reduction in the prices it pays for the products and services it purchases from us could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial position. In addition, regulations designed to increase competition among set-top box providers may result in lower sales to DISH Network.

DISH Network is involved in several legal proceedings relating to products, components and services purchased from us. Adverse decisions against DISH Network in these proceedings could decrease the number of products, components and/or services we provide to DISH Network, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial position.

In addition, because a significant portion of our revenue is derived from DISH Network, our success also depends to a significant degree on the continued success of DISH Network in attracting new subscribers and marketing programming packages and other services and features to subscribers that will result in the purchase of new digital set-top boxes, and in particular, new digital set-top boxes at the high-end of our product range that incorporate high-definition, multiple tuners, and other advanced technology.

In addition, the timing of orders for digital set-top boxes from DISH Network could vary significantly depending on equipment promotions offered to its subscribers, changes in technology, and its use of remanufactured digital set-top boxes, which may cause our revenue to vary significantly quarter over quarter and could expose us to the risks of inventory shortages or excess inventory. These inventory risks are particularly acute during product end-of-life transitions in which a new generation of digital set-top boxes is being deployed and inventory of older generation digital set-top boxes is at a higher risk of obsolescence. This in turn could cause our operating results to fluctuate significantly.

There are a relatively small number of potential new customers for our digital set-top boxes and digital broadcast operations, and we expect this customer concentration to continue for the foreseeable future. If we lose DISH Network as a customer, it may be difficult for us to replace, in whole or in part, our historical revenue from DISH Network as we have had limited success in attracting such potential new customers in the past. Furthermore, because of the maturing and competitive nature of the digital set-top box business, the limited number of potential new customers, and the short-term nature of our purchase orders with DISH Network, we have experienced, and could in the future continue to experience, downward pricing pressure on our digital set-top boxes sold to DISH Network, which in turn would adversely affect our gross margins and profitability. Historically, many potential customers have perceived us as a competitor due to our affiliation with DISH Network. There can be no assurance that we will be successful in entering into any commercial relationships with potential new customers who are competitors of DISH Network (particularly if we continue to be perceived as affiliated with DISH Network as a result of common ownership and certain shared services). If we do not develop relationships with new customers, we may not be able to expand our customer base or maintain or increase our revenue.

Our strategic initiatives may not be successfully implemented, may not elicit the expected customer response in the market and may result in competitive reactions.

We have identified a number of strategic initiatives that we intend to pursue which are discussed in more detail in Item 1. — Business of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. The successful implementation of those strategic initiatives requires an investment of time, talent and money and is dependent upon a number of factors some of which are not within our control. Those factors include the ability to execute such initiatives in the market, the response of existing and potential new customers, and the actions or reactions of competitors. We may allocate significant resources for long-term initiatives that may not have a short or medium term or any positive impact on our revenue, results of operations, or cash flow. If we fail to properly execute or deliver products or services that address customers’ expectations, it may have an adverse effect on our ability to retain and attract customers and may increase our costs and reduce our revenue. Similarly, competitive actions or reactions to our initiatives or advancements in technology or competitive products or services could impair our ability to execute those strategic initiatives or advancements. In addition, new strategic initiatives may face barriers to entering existing markets with established competitors. There can be no assurance that we will successfully implement these strategic initiatives or that, if successfully pursued, they will have the desired effect on our business or results of operations.

We could face decreased demand and increased pricing pressure to our products and services due to competition.

Our business operates in an intensely competitive, consumer-driven and rapidly changing environment and competes with a growing number of companies that provide products and services to consumers. Risks to our business from competition include, but are not limited to, the following:

· The digital set-top box market is intensely competitive, and market leadership changes frequently as a result of new products, designs, pricing and regulations. We currently face competition from well-established companies, from new, rapidly growing companies, and from digital video providers who have developed their own digital set-top boxes, and in the future we may face competition from new and existing companies that do not currently compete in the market for set-top boxes. If we do not distinguish our products, particularly our retail products, through distinctive, technologically advanced features and design, as well as build and strengthen our brand recognition, our business could be harmed as we may not be able to effectively compete on price alone against ne

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None.

Our principal executive offices are located at 100 Inverness Terrace East, Englewood, Colorado 80112-5308 and our telephone number is (303) 706-4000. The following table sets forth certain information concerning our principal properties related to our Hughes segment (“Hughes”), EchoStar Technologies segment (“ETC”), EchoStar Satellite Services segment (“ESS”) and to our other operations and administrative functions (“Other”) as of December 31, 2015. We operate various facilities in the U.S. and abroad. We believe that our facilities are well maintained and are sufficient to meet our current and projected needs.

(1) We perform network services and customer support functions 24 hours a day, 365 days a year at these locations.

(2) These properties are used by subsidiaries that are less than wholly-owned by the Company.

(3) In addition to the above properties, we have multiple gateways throughout the Western part of the U.S. that support the SPACEWAY 3, EchoStar XVII, and EchoStar XIX satellites as well as multiple regional broadcast operations centers.

(4) In addition to the above properties, we lease rack and roof top space in 210 designated market areas throughout the U.S. as well as San Juan, Puerto Rico to collect and broadcast local channels that are used by the ETC segment.

(5) We purchased this property in January 2016.

For a discussion of legal proceedings, see Note 16 in the notes to consolidated financial statements in Item 15 of this report.

Not applicable.

PART II

Market Price of and Dividends on the Registrant’s Common Equity and Related Stockholder Matters

Market Information. Our Class A common stock is quoted on the Nasdaq Global Select Market (“Nasdaq”) under the symbol “SATS.” The high and low closing sale prices of our Class A common stock during 2015 and 2014 on Nasdaq (as reported by Nasdaq) are set forth below.

Holders. As of February 16, 2016, there were approximately 9,366 holders of record of our Class A common stock, not including stockholders who beneficially own Class A common stock held in nominee or street name. As of February 16, 2016, 26,804,038 of the 47,687,039 outstanding shares of our Class B common stock were held by Charles W. Ergen, our Chairman, and the remaining 20,883,001 were held in trusts established for the benefit of Mr. Ergen’s family. There is currently no established trading market for our Class B common stock.

Dividends. We have not paid any cash dividends on our common stock in the past two years. We currently do not intend to declare dividends on our common stock. Payment of any future dividends will depend upon our earnings, capital requirements, and other factors the board of directors considers appropriate. We currently intend to retain our earnings, if any, to support future growth and expansion although we expect to repurchase shares of our common stock from time to time. See further discussion under Item 7. — Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Liquidity and Capital Resources in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Securities Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans. See Item 12. — Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Purchases of Equity Securities by the Issuer and Affiliated Purchasers

Pursuant to a stock repurchase program approved by our board of directors, we are authorized to repurchase up to $500.0 million of our outstanding shares of Class A common stock through December 31, 2016. For the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, we did not repurchase any common stock under this program.

The accompanying consolidated financial statements for 2015 have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”) included in our consolidated financial statements in Item 15 of this report. Certain prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current period presentation.

The following tables present selected information relating to our consolidated financial condition and results of operations for the past five years. The selected financial data should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and related notes thereto, and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” included elsewhere in this report.

(1) On June 8, 2011, we completed the acquisition of Hughes Communications, Inc. and its subsidiaries (“the Hughes Acquisition”). As a result, Hughes became a new segment and our historical financial statements on and after June 9, 2011 give effect to the Hughes Acquisition. Therefore, our results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014, 2013 and 2012 are not comparable to our results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2011.

(2) In March 2014, we issued preferred tracking stock to DISH Network in exchange for five satellites and $11.4 million in cash. Please see Note 4 in our consolidated financial statements in Item 15 of this report. As a result, our results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014 are not comparable to our results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011.

(3) In 2015 we prospectively adopted Accounting Standard Update No. 2015-17, Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes. As a result, our total assets as of December 31, 2015 is not comparable to our total assets as reported in prior years.

Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Unless the context indicates otherwise, as used herein, the terms “we,” “us,” “EchoStar,” the “Company” and “our” refer to EchoStar Corporation and its subsidiaries. References to “$” are to United States dollars. The following management’s discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes to our financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. This management’s discussion and analysis is intended to help provide an understanding of our financial condition, changes in our financial condition and our results of operations. Many of the statements in this management’s discussion and analysis are forward-looking statements that involve assumptions and are subject to risks and uncertainties that are often difficult to predict and beyond our control. Actual results could differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. See “Disclosure Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further discussion. For a discussion of additional risks, uncertainties and other factors that could impact our results of operations or financial condition, see the caption “Risk Factors” in Item 1A of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Further, such forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K and we undertake no obligation to update them.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

EchoStar is a global provider of satellite operations, video delivery solutions, digital set-top boxes, and broadband satellite technologies and services for the home and office, delivering innovative network technologies, managed services, and solutions for enterprises and governments. We currently operate in three business segments, which are differentiated primarily by their operational focus: Hughes, EchoStar Technologies, and EchoStar Satellite Services. These segments are consistent with the way decisions regarding the allocation of resources are made, as well as how operating results are reviewed by our chief operating decision maker (“CODM”), who for EchoStar is the Company’s Chief Executive Officer.

Our segment operating results do not include real estate and other activities, costs incurred in certain satellite development programs and other business development activities, expenses of various corporate departments, and our centralized treasury operations, including income from our investment portfolio and interest expense on our debt. These activities are accounted for in “All Other and Eliminations.”

Highlights from our financial results are as follows:

Consolidated Results of Operations for the Year Ended December 31, 2015

· Revenue of $3.14 billion

· Operating income of $356.0 million

· Net income attributable to EchoStar common stock of $163.7 million and basic earnings per share of common stock of $1.77

· EBITDA of $865.4 million (see reconciliation of this non-GAAP measure in Note 17 to the consolidated financial statements in Item 15 of this report)

Consolidated Financial Condition as of December 31, 2015

· Total assets of $7.24 billion

· Total liabilities of $3.46 billion

· Total stockholders’ equity of $3.78 billion

· Cash, cash equivalents and current marketable investment securities of $1.54 billion

Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS - Continued

Hughes Segment

Our Hughes segment is a global provider of broadband satellite technologies and services for the home and office, delivering innovative network technologies, managed services, and solutions for consumers, enterprises and governments.

We continue our efforts in growing our consumer revenue, which depends on our success in adding new subscribers on our Hughes segment’s satellite networks. The addition of new subscribers and the performance of our consumer service offering, primarily drive the revenue growth in our consumer business. Service costs related to ongoing support of our direct and indirect customers and partners are typically impacted most significantly by our growth. Long-term trends continue to be influenced primarily by the subscriber growth in our consumer business.

New satellite launches are expected to provide additional capacity for subscriber growth while we manage subscriber growth across our existing satellite platform. In March 2013, we entered into a contract for the design and construction of the EchoStar XIX satellite, which is expected to be launched in the fourth quarter of 2016. The EchoStar XIX satellite is a next-generation, high throughput geostationary satellite that will employ a multi-spot beam, bent pipe Ka-band architecture and will provide additional capacity for the Hughes broadband services to the consumer market in North America, as well as new capacity covering Mexico and other Latin American countries. Capital expenditures associated with the construction and launch of the EchoStar XIX satellite are included in “All Other and Eliminations” in our segment reporting.

Our Hughes segment also provides managed services, hardware, and satellite services to large enterprises. In addition, we provide gateway and terminal equipment to customers for mobile satellite systems. The fixed pricing nature of our long-term enterprise contracts minimizes significant quarter to quarter fluctuations; however, the growth of our enterprise business relies heavily on global economic conditions. We continue to monitor the competitive landscape for pricing in relation to our competitors and alternative technologies.

We continue our efforts in growing our consumer satellite services business outside of the U.S. In April 2014, we entered into a satellite services agreement pursuant to which Eutelsat do Brasil will provide to us fixed broadband service using the Ka-band capacity into Brazil on the EUTELSAT 65 West A satellite for a 15-year term. We expect the satellite to launch in the first quarter of 2016 and to begin delivering consumer satellite broadband services in Brazil in the second half of 2016. In addition, in September 2015, we entered into satellite services agreements pursuant to which affiliates of Telesat Canada (“Telesat”) will provide to us fixed broadband service into South America using the Ka-band capacity on a satellite to be located at the 63 degree west longitude orbital location for a 15-year term. We expect the satellite to be launched in the second quarter of 2018 to deliver consumer satellite broadband services into South America as well as create a platform to potentially allow for further development of our business in South America.

As of December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, our Hughes segment had approximately 1,035,000, 977,000 and 860,000 broadband subscribers, respectively. These broadband subscribers include customers that subscribe to our HughesNet broadband services through retail, wholesale and small/medium enterprise service channels. Gross subscriber additions decreased for the year ended December 31, 2015 compared to the same period in 2014 and our average monthly subscriber churn for the year ended December 31, 2015 increased as compared to the same period in 2014. As a result, for the year ended December 31, 2015, net subscriber additions of approximately 56,000 were lower than for the year ended December 31, 2014 primarily due to satellite beams servicing certain areas reaching capacity and the increase in churn on the larger base of subscribers. Subscriber additions excludes small/medium enterprise service channels.

As of December 31, 2015 and 2014, our Hughes segment had approximately $1.44 billion and $1.26 billion, respectively, of contracted revenue backlog. We define Hughes contracted revenue backlog as our expected future revenue under customer contracts that are non-cancelable, excluding agreements with customers in our consumer market. The increase in contracted revenue backlog is primarily due to an increase in customer contracts from our international markets as a result of future commitments to provide satellite services and gateway and network management services on the EchoStar XIX satellite. Of the total contracted revenue backlog as of December 31, 2015, we expect to recognize approximately $402.1 million of revenue in 2016.

EchoStar Technologies Segment

Our EchoStar Technologies segment designs, develops and distributes secure end-to-end video technology solutions including digital set-top boxes and related products and technology, primarily for satellite TV service providers and telecommunication companies. The primary customer for our digital set-top boxes is DISH Network Corporation and its subsidiaries (“DISH Network”), and we also our sell digital set-top boxes to Bell TV, a direct-to-home satellite service provider in Canada, Dish Mexico, S. de R.L. de C.V. (“Dish Mexico”), a joint venture that we entered into in 2008, and other international customers. We depend on DISH Network for a substantial portion of our EchoStar Technologies segment revenue and we expect that DISH Network will continue to be the primary source of revenue for our EchoStar Technologies segment. In addition, our equipment revenue from DISH Network depends on the timing of orders for set-top boxes and related accessories from DISH Network based on its actual and projected subscriber growth. Therefore, the results of operations of our EchoStar Technologies segment are, and are likely to continue to be, closely linked to the performance of DISH Network’s pay-TV service.

Our EchoStar Technologies segment also provides digital broadcast operations, including satellite uplinking/downlinking, transmission services, signal processing, conditional access management, and other services, primarily to DISH Network and Dish Mexico. In addition, we provide our TV Anywhere technology through Slingbox units directly to consumers via retail outlets and online, as well as to the pay-TV operator market.

Prior to 2015, Move Networks, our over-the-top (“OTT”), Streaming Video on Demand (“SVOD”) platform business, including certain assets that were distributed to us in August 2014 in connection with the Exchange Agreement with DISH Digital Holding L.L.C. (“Sling TV Holding”), (see Notes 6, 10 and 19 in our notes to consolidated financial statements in Item 15 of this report), was managed separately from our operating segments and was reported within “All Other and Eliminations.” In the first quarter of 2015, we assigned management responsibility for our Move Networks business to our EchoStar Technologies segment. We have retrospectively adjusted our segment reporting to reflect our Move Networks business as part of the EchoStar Technologies segment in prior periods (see Note 17 in our notes to the consolidated financial statements in Item 15 of this report).

During the second quarter of 2015, our EchoStar Technologies segment contributed several of its European subsidiaries to SmarDTV SA (“SmarDTV”), a Swiss subsidiary of Kudelski SA that offers set-top boxes and conditional access modules, in exchange for a 22.5% interest in the equity and subordinated debt of SmarDTV. We and SmarDTV also entered into a services agreement pursuant to which our EchoStar Technologies segment purchases certain engineering services from SmarDTV.

We continue to focus on building and strengthening our brand recognition by providing unique and technologically advanced features and products. Products containing new technologies and features typically have higher initial selling prices, margins and volumes. As products mature and new products are in the late stages of development, volumes typically decrease as our customers, primarily DISH Network, increase deployment of refurbished set-top boxes as opposed to purchasing new units from us. The market for our digital set-top boxes, like other electronic products, has also been characterized by regular reductions in selling prices and production costs. Our ability to sustain or increase profitability also depends in large part on our ability to control or reduce our costs of producing digital set-top boxes. Based on our experience, we expect our cost of manufacturing a specific set-top box model to decline over time as our contract manufacturers generate efficiencies with scale of production and engineering cost reductions. Overall, our success depends heavily on our ability to bring advanced technologies to market to continue to be a market leader and innovator.

The number of potential new customers for our set-top box business in our EchoStar Technologies segment is small and may be limited as prospective customers that have been competitors of DISH Network may continue to view us as a competitor due to our common ownership with DISH Network. Our customers face emerging competition from other providers of digital media and potential government action preventing them from using security systems in connection with set-top boxes. In particular, programming offered over the internet has become more prevalent as the speed and quality of broadband networks have improved. As a result, we expect that demand for our satellite television digital set-top boxes from DISH Network and other customers could decline and we may not be able to sustain our current revenue levels.

With our expertise in connectivity, security, and video, we are developing new consumer product and service offerings, including a security and home automation solution, along with other products intended to grow our EchoStar Technologies segment revenue over time.

EchoStar Satellite Services Segment

Our EchoStar Satellite Services segment operates its business using its owned and leased in-orbit satellites. We provide satellite services on a full-time and occasional-use basis primarily to DISH Network, Dish Mexico, U.S. government service providers, internet service providers, broadcast news organizations, programmers and private enterprise customers.

We depend on DISH Network for a significant portion of the revenue for our EchoStar Satellite Services segment, and we expect that DISH Network will continue to be the primary source of revenue for our EchoStar Satellite

Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS - Continued

Services segment. Therefore, the results of operations of our EchoStar Satellite Services segment are linked to long-term changes in DISH Network’s satellite capacity requirements. We continue to pursue expanding our business offerings by providing value added services such as telemetry, tracking and control services to third parties.

In August 2014, we entered into: (i) a construction contract with Airbus Defence and Space SAS for the construction of the EchoStar 105/SES-11 satellite with C-band, Ku-band and Ka-band payloads; (ii) an agreement with SES Satellite Leasing Limited for the procurement of the related launch services; and (iii) an agreement with SES Americom Inc. (“SES”) pursuant to which we will transfer the title to the C-band and Ka-band payloads to SES Satellite Leasing Limited at launch and transfer the title to the Ku-band payload to SES following in-orbit testing of the satellite. Simultaneously, SES will provide to us satellite service on the entire Ku-band payload on the EchoStar 105/SES-11 satellite for an initial ten-year term, with an option for us to renew the agreement on a year-to-year basis.

Revenue growth in our EchoStar Satellite Services segment is a function of available satellite capacity to sell. Our EchoStar 105/SES-11 satellite is currently under construction and will replace the capacity currently leased on the AMC-15 satellite. Once launched, which is expected in the fourth quarter of 2016, and placed into operation, we expect revenue from the satellite to exceed the revenue currently serviced by the AMC-15 satellite. Any factors that interfere with the construction and launch schedule of the EchoStar 105/SES-11 satellite could impact our expected revenue. In addition, any disruption in planned renewals of our service arrangements could impact customer commitments and have an impact on our revenue and financial performance. Technical issues, regulatory and licensing issues, manufacturer perform

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Restricted Cash and Marketable Investment Securities and Other Investments

Restricted Cash and Marketable Investment Securities

As of December 31, 2015, we had $21.0 million of restricted cash and marketable investment securities invested in: (a) cash; (b) debt instruments of the U.S. government and its agencies; (c) 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 (d) instruments with similar risk, duration and credit quality characteristics to the commercial paper described above. Based on our investment portfolio as of December 31, 2015, 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.

Investments in Unconsolidated Entities

As of December 31, 2015, we had $209.3 million of noncurrent equity instruments that we hold for strategic business purposes and account for under the cost or equity methods of accounting. The fair value of these instruments is not readily determinable. We periodically review these investments and estimate fair value when there are indications of impairment. A hypothetical 10% adverse change in the value of these debt and equity instruments would result in a decrease of approximately $20.9 million in the value of these investments.

Our ability to realize value from our strategic investments in companies that are not publicly traded depends on the success of those companies’ businesses and their ability to obtain sufficient capital 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.

Foreign Currency Exchange Risk

We generally conduct our business in U.S. dollars. Our international business is conducted in a variety of foreign currencies with our largest exposures being to the Brazilian real, the Indian rupee, and the British pound. This exposes us to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates. Transactions in foreign currencies are converted into U.S. dollars using exchange rates in effect on the dates of the transactions.

Our objective in managing our exposure to foreign currency changes is to reduce earnings and cash flow volatility associated with foreign exchange rate fluctuations. Accordingly, we may enter into foreign exchange contracts to mitigate risks associated with foreign currency denominated assets, liabilities, commitments and anticipated foreign currency transactions. As of December 31, 2015, we had $5.3 million of net foreign currency denominated receivables and payables outstanding, and foreign currency forward contracts with a notional value of $2.6 million in place to partially mitigate foreign currency exchange risk. The estimated fair values of the foreign exchange contracts were not material as of December 31, 2015. The impact of a hypothetical 10% adverse change in exchange rates on the carrying amount of the net assets and liabilities of our foreign subsidiaries would be an estimated loss of $22.7 million as of December 31, 2015.

Derivative Financial Instruments

We generally do not use derivative financial instruments for speculative purposes and we generally do not apply hedge accounting treatment to our derivative financial instruments. We evaluate our derivative financial instruments from time to time but there can be no assurance that we will not enter into additional foreign currency forward contracts, or take other measures, in the future to mitigate our foreign exchange risk.

Our consolidated financial statements are included in Item 15 of this report beginning on page F-3.

None.

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) and Rule 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) 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 such that the information required to be disclosed in our SEC reports is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC rules and forms, and is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

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) and Rule 15 d-15(f) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) that occurred during our fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2015 that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting. We continue to review our internal control over financial reporting, and may from time to time make changes aimed at enhancing its effectiveness and to ensure that our systems evolve with our business.

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 generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”).

Our internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that:

(i) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect our transactions and dispositions of our assets;

(ii) provide reasonable assurance that our transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of our financial statements in accordance with GAAP, 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. Based on this evaluation, our management has concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2015.

The effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2015 has been audited by KPMG LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their report which appears in Item 15(a) of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

None.

PART III

The information required by this Item with respect to the identity and business experience of our directors and corporate governance will be set forth in our Proxy Statement for the 2016 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, which will be filed no later than 120 days after December 31, 2015, under the caption “Election of Directors,” which information is hereby incorporated herein by reference.

The information required by this Item with respect to the identity and business experience of our executive officers is set forth on pages 16-17 of this report under the caption “Executive Officers of the Registrant.”

The information required by this Item with respect to our code of ethics is contained in Part I of this Form 10-K under the caption “Item 1. — Business — Website Access.”

The information required by this Item will be set forth in our Proxy Statement for the 2016 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, which will be filed no later than 120 days after December 31, 2015, under the caption “Executive Compensation and Other Information,” which information is hereby incorporated herein by reference.

The information required by this Item will be set forth in our Proxy Statement for the 2016 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, which will be filed no later than 120 days after December 31, 2015, under the captions “Election of Directors,” “Equity Security Ownership” and “Equity Compensation Plan Information,” which information is hereby incorporated herein by reference.

The information required by this Item will be set forth in our Proxy Statement for the 2016 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, which will be filed no later than 120 days after December 31, 2015, under the caption “Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions,” which information is hereby incorporated herein by reference.

The information required by this Item will be set forth in our Proxy Statement for the 2016 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, which will be filed no later than 120 days after December 31, 2015, under the caption “Principal Accountant Fees and Services,” which information is hereby incorporated herein by reference.

PART IV

(a) The following documents are filed as part of this report:

(3) Exhibits

| 4.10* | | Joinder Agreement, dated as of March 28, 2014, to the Security Agreement dated as of June 8, 2011, by and among EchoStar XI Holding L.L.C., EchoStar XIV Holding L.L.C., and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as collateral agent (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.3 to EchoStar Corporation’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2014, filed May 9, 2014, Commission File No. 001-33807). | | -

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