Item 2. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS – Continued

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Free cash flow can be significantly impacted from period to period by changes in “Net income (loss)” adjusted to exclude certain non-cash charges, operating assets and liabilities, “Purchases of property and equipment,” net of “Refunds and other receipts of purchases of property and equipment,” and “Capitalized interest related to Regulatory authorizations.” These items are shown in the “Net cash flows from operating activities” and “Net cash flows from investing activities” sections on our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows included herein. Operating asset and liability balances can fluctuate significantly from period to period and there can be no assurance that free cash flow will not be negatively impacted by material changes in operating assets and liabilities in future periods, since these changes depend upon, among other things, management’s timing of payments and control of inventory levels, and cash receipts. In addition to fluctuations resulting from changes in operating assets and liabilities, free cash flow can vary significantly from period to period depending upon, among other things, subscriber additions (losses), service revenue, subscriber churn, subscriber acquisition and retention costs including amounts capitalized under our equipment lease programs for DISH TV subscribers, operating efficiencies, increases or decreases in purchases of property and equipment, expenditures related to our 5G Network Deployment and other factors.

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The following table reconciles free cash flow to “Net cash flows from operating activities.”

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​	​	For the Six Months Ended
​	​	June 30,
​		2024			2023
​	​	(In thousands)
Net cash flows from operating activities	​	$	930,984	​	$	1,539,106
Purchases of property and equipment, net of refunds (including capitalized interest related to Regulatory authorizations)	​	​	(1,348,729)	​	​	(2,251,213)
Free cash flow	​	$	(417,745)	​	$	(712,107)

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Operational Liquidity

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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, Retail Wireless and Broadband and Satellite Services segments. We are also making significant additional investments and may partner with others to, among other things, continue our 5G Network Deployment and further commercialize, build-out and integrate our Wireless spectrum licenses and related assets. Moreover, since we are primarily a subscriber-based company, we also make subscriber-specific investments to acquire new subscribers and retain existing subscribers. While the general investments may be deferred without impacting the business in the short-term, the subscriber-specific investments are less discretionary. Our overall objective is to generate sufficient cash flow over the life of each subscriber to provide an adequate return against the upfront investment. Once the upfront investment has been made for each subscriber, the subsequent cash flow is generally positive, but there can be no assurance that over time we will recoup or earn a return on the upfront investment.

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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 migrate 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.

**Item 2.**MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS – Continued

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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 for the remainder of 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 June 30, 2024, as a result of, among other things, capital expenditures for our 5G Network Deployment, we experienced negative free cash flow. We expect that this trend will continue in 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.

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Subscriber Base – Pay TV, Retail Wireless and Broadband and Satellite Services Segments

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See “Results of Operations” above for further information.

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Subscriber Acquisition and Retention Costs

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We incur significant upfront costs to acquire Pay-TV, Wireless and Broadband subscribers, including, but not limited to, advertising, independent third-party retailer incentives, payments made to third parties, equipment and wireless device subsidies, installation services and/or new customer promotions. While we attempt to recoup these upfront costs over the lives of their subscription, there can be no assurance that we will be successful in achieving that objective. With respect to our DISH TV services and Boost Mobile postpaid, we employ business rules such as minimum credit requirements for prospective customers and contractual commitments. We strive to provide outstanding customer service to increase the likelihood of customers keeping their Pay-TV services and Boost Mobile postpaid service over longer periods of time. Subscriber acquisition costs for SLING TV subscribers are significantly lower than those for DISH TV subscribers. Our subscriber acquisition costs may vary significantly from period to period.

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We incur significant costs to retain our existing DISH TV subscribers, generally as a result of upgrading their equipment to next generation receivers, primarily including our Hopper® receivers, and by providing retention credits. As with our subscriber acquisition costs, our retention upgrade spending includes the cost of equipment and installation services. In certain circumstances, we also offer programming at no additional charge and/or promotional pricing for limited periods to existing customers in exchange for a contractual commitment to receive service for a minimum term. A component of our retention efforts includes the installation of equipment for customers who move. Retention costs for Wireless subscribers are primarily related to promotional pricing on upgraded wireless devices for qualified existing subscribers. Our DISH TV and Wireless subscriber retention costs may vary significantly from period to period.

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Seasonality

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Historically, the first half of the year generally produces fewer gross new DISH TV subscriber activations than the second half of the year, as is typical in the pay-TV industry. In addition, the first and fourth quarters generally produce a lower DISH TV churn rate than the second and third quarters. However, in recent years, as the pay-TV industry has matured, we and our competitors increasingly must seek to attract a greater proportion of new subscribers from each other’s existing subscriber bases rather than from first-time purchasers of pay-TV services. As a result, historical trends in seasonality described above may not be indicative of future trends.

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**Item 2.**MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS – Continued

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Our net SLING TV subscriber additions are impacted by, among other things, certain major sporting events and other major television events. The first and third quarters generally produce higher gross new Wireless subscriber activations. The historical trends discussed above, for net DISH TV subscriber additions, net SLING TV subscriber additions and gross new Wireless subscriber activations, may not be indicative of future trends. There can be no assurance that these trends will not continue and/or accelerate.

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Satellites

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Pay-TV Segment. Operation of our DISH TV services requires that we have adequate satellite transmission capacity for the programming that we offer. Moreover, competitive conditions may require that we expand our offering of new programming. While we generally have had in-orbit satellite capacity sufficient to transmit our existing channels and some backup capacity to recover the transmission of certain critical programming, our backup capacity is limited. In the event of a failure or loss of any of our owned or leased satellites, we may need to acquire or lease additional satellite capacity or relocate one of our other satellites and use it as a replacement for the failed or lost satellite. Such a failure could result in a prolonged loss of critical programming or a significant delay in our plans to expand programming as necessary to remain competitive and cause us to expend a significant portion of our cash to acquire or lease additional satellite capacity.

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Broadband and Satellite Services Segment. Operation of our Broadband and Satellite Services also requires adequate satellite transmission capacity for the services that we offer. Prior to the launch of EchoStar XXIV, we were nearing or had reached capacity in most areas of the U.S., which constrained growth within our consumer subscriber base. These constraints have been addressed by the EchoStar XXIV satellite. In the event of a failure or loss of any of our owned or leased satellites, we may need to acquire or lease additional satellite capacity or relocate one of our other satellites and use it as a replacement for the failed or lost satellite. Such a failure could result in a prolonged loss of services.

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Covenants and Restrictions Related to our Long-Term Debt

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We are subject to the covenants and restrictions set forth in the indentures related to our long-term debt.

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DISH Network and DISH DBS Corporation

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The indentures related to our outstanding senior notes issued by DISH DBS Corporation (“DISH DBS”) contain restrictive covenants that, among other things, impose limitations on the ability of DISH DBS and its restricted subsidiaries to: (i) incur additional indebtedness; (ii) enter into sale and leaseback transactions; (iii) pay dividends or make distributions on DISH DBS’ capital stock or repurchase DISH DBS’ capital stock; (iv) make certain investments; (v) create liens; (vi) enter into certain transactions with affiliates; (vii) merge or consolidate with another company; and (viii) transfer or sell assets. The indentures related to our outstanding DISH Network and DISH DBS senior secured notes contain restrictive covenants that, among other things, impose limitations on our ability and certain of our subsidiaries to: (i) incur additional indebtedness; (ii) enter into sale and leaseback transactions; (iii) pay dividends or make distributions on our capital stock or repurchase our capital stock; (iv) make certain investments of spectrum collateral; (v) create liens; (vi) enter into certain transactions with affiliates; (vii) merge or consolidate with another company; and (viii) transfer or sell assets. Should we fail to comply with these covenants, all or a portion of the debt under the senior notes, senior secured notes and our other long-term debt could become immediately payable. The senior notes and senior secured notes also provide that the debt may be required to be prepaid if certain change-in-control events occur. In addition, the Convertible Notes provide that, if a “fundamental change” (as defined in the related indenture) occurs, holders may require us to repurchase for cash all or part of their Convertible Notes. As of the date of filing of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, we, DISH Network and DISH DBS were in compliance with the covenants and restrictions related to our respective long-term debt.

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**Item 2.**MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS – Continued

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Hughes Satellite Systems Corporation

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The indentures related to our outstanding senior notes issued by Hughes Satellite Systems Corporation (“HSSC”) contain restrictive covenants that, among other things, impose limitations on the ability of HSSC and its restricted subsidiaries to: (i) incur additional indebtedness; (ii) pay dividends or make distributions on HSSC’s capital stock or repurchase HSSC’s capital stock; (iii) allow to exist certain restrictions on such subsidiaries’ ability to pay dividends, make distributions, make other payments, or transfer assets; (iv) make certain investments; (v) create liens; (vi) enter into certain transactions with affiliates; (vii) merge or consolidate with another company; and (viii) transfer or sell assets. As of the date of filing of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, we and HSSC were in compliance with the covenants and restrictions related to our respective long-term debt.

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Other

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We are also vulnerable to fraud, particularly in the acquisition of new subscribers. While we are addressing the impact of subscriber fraud through a number of actions, there can be no assurance that we will not continue to experience fraud, which could impact our subscriber growth and churn. Economic weakness may create greater incentive for signal theft, piracy and subscriber fraud, which could lead to higher subscriber churn and reduced revenue.

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Obligations and Future Capital Requirements

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Contractual Obligations

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See Note 10 in the Notes to our Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for further information.

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Future Capital Requirements

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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 potential purchase of additional wireless spectrum licenses and the rate at which we acquire new subscribers, and the cost of subscriber acquisition and retention. Certain of our capital expenditures for 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.

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We do not currently have the necessary cash, cash equivalents and marketable investment securities and/or projected future cash flows to fund fourth quarter operations or the November 2024 debt maturity. To address our capital needs, we are in active discussions with funding sources to raise additional capital.

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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.

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**Item 2.**MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS – Continued

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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.

Wireless – 5G Network Deployment

See Note 10 in the Notes to our Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for further information.

Availability of Credit and Effect on Liquidity

The ability to raise capital has generally existed for us despite economic weakness and uncertainty. While modest fluctuations in the cost of capital will not likely impact our current operational plans, significant fluctuations could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Debt Issuances and Maturity

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.

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Our 5 7/8% Senior Notes due 2024 with remaining balance of approximately $1.983 billion mature on November 15, 2024. 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.

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New Accounting Pronouncements

See Note 2 in the Notes to our Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for further information.

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