EchoStar/Dish raises doubts about 'ability to continue as a going concern'

[CSM]

Would declaring bankruptcy allow Dish to back out of that deal to build that new satellite? I wonder how far along they are in building it?

 

[meStevo]

I wonder how Dish Network could afford to do this?

Maxar secures Dish Network order in its first satellite contract of 2023

Dish Network said April 18 it has ordered a satellite from Maxar Technologies to expand high-definition broadcast services over North America.

spacenews.com

We don't really have any of the details so it's hard to say what the actual costs are and when they're due or if that was just 100% debt added to the pile, for example.

Funny enough, neither of these companies even exist anymore in their prior forms. Dish Network merged with Echostar and Maxar was acquired and taken private, delisted from NYSE.

Would declaring bankruptcy allow Dish to back out of that deal to build that new satellite? I wonder how far along they are in building it?

Almost certainly, and Maxar would just pivot to another customer. It's not a new or unique technology platform by any means. In the grand scheme of things this deal wouldn't really move the needle when talking about stuff like bankruptcy and the billions in debt they are managing.

 

[Bruce]

I wonder how Dish Network could afford to do this?

Maxar secures Dish Network order in its first satellite contract of 2023

Dish Network said April 18 it has ordered a satellite from Maxar Technologies to expand high-definition broadcast services over North America.

spacenews.com

Already brought up, when Dish ordered that, they were still profitable, now 2 quarters in a row, they are all of a sudden unprofitable, to the tune of over $2 Billion.

The one point I will make, if they did not have all that debt they accumulated for the 5G money pit, Dish Satellite TV would still be profitable, probably for about 3-5 years based on the rate of losses.

But they are no longer taking enough to accommodate all the debt, if they have another big loss in the first and second quarter ( also in March, $951 million in debt will mature), they will declare before November 2024, when $1.98 billion in debt is maturing, that they will not have enough cash for.

In EchoStar’s 10K SEC filing the company said it ended 2023 with $2.4 billion in cash and cash equivalents., so minus just the debt payment in March, leaves them with basically with $1.4 Billion.

Dish TV needs about 10 million new subscribers right now, to help cover all future debt for the next few years, not joking

 

[Ray_Clum]

But you are missing one part of this, the FCC will not allow Dish to sell some of the spectrum till next year, Dish needs their permission, some of the other spectrum Dish is holding, they are not allowed to sell until 2026 and 2027.

So these companies might have no choice but to wait until Bankruptcy, but again, FCC is the wild card.

One thing to consider is that a bankruptcy court can override the agreements that the FCC or DoJ has with Dish, just like they can cancel or restructure debt based upon the decision of the judge or prior precedent.

 

[dishdude]

Even Charlie is admitting it now.

Ergen’s EchoStar Concedes ‘Substantial Doubt’ About Its Future

With one analyst calling its debt situation ‘dire,’ the Dish Network parent company admits to the SEC there is doubt about its ability to continue as a ‘going concern’

www.nexttv.com

 

[Juan]

Somebody will buy Dish at a fire sale

 

[CSM]

It's interesting that awhile back most were thinking Dish was going to buy DirecTV.

 

[Bruce]

It's interesting that awhile back most were thinking Dish was going to buy DirecTV.

Again they could have, without you know what.

 

[CSM]

Again they could have, without you know what.

Sorry, I forgot, with you know what?

 

[navychop]

Sad that some will actually celebrate the demise of Dish.

I guess I’ll ride it out. But I’m not in any rush to pick a streamer (don’t even mention the DTV alternative). Besides, it seems we really don’t know what the streaming options will be in another year. Turmoil. Double, double, toil and trouble….


I gather the Hopper 3 really can’t be repurposed from Dish use. Anybody know otherwise? So if they shut down, I gather we may end up keeping them. Maybe for OTA and streaming access? Access our EHDs and other recordings, at least for a time? Funny, posting this and I haven’t had a drink.

 

[charlesrshell]

Sad that some will actually celebrate the demise of Dish.

I guess I’ll ride it out. But I’m not in any rush to pick a streamer (don’t even mention the DTV alternative). Besides, it seems we really don’t know what the streaming options will be in another year. Turmoil. Double, double, toil and trouble….


I gather the Hopper 3 really can’t be repurposed from Dish use. Anybody know otherwise? So if they shut down, I gather we may end up keeping them. Maybe for OTA and streaming access? Access our EHDs and other recordings, at least for a time? Funny, posting this and I haven’t had a drink.

That's my exact plan too.

 

[telstar_1]

I wonder how Dish Network could afford to do this?

Maxar secures Dish Network order in its first satellite contract of 2023

Dish Network said April 18 it has ordered a satellite from Maxar Technologies to expand high-definition broadcast services over North America.

spacenews.com

maybe he got a bargain as business has been down

 

[telstar_1]

Sad that some will actually celebrate the demise of Dish.

I guess I’ll ride it out. But I’m not in any rush to pick a streamer (don’t even mention the DTV alternative). Besides, it seems we really don’t know what the streaming options will be in another year. Turmoil. Double, double, toil and trouble….


I gather the Hopper 3 really can’t be repurposed from Dish use. Anybody know otherwise? So if they shut down, I gather we may end up keeping them. Maybe for OTA and streaming access? Access our EHDs and other recordings, at least for a time? Funny, posting this and I haven’t had a drink.

DiSH didn't care about the demise of local dealers and invested customer service it perpetrated.

 

[CSM]

Sad that some will actually celebrate the demise of Dish.

I guess I’ll ride it out. But I’m not in any rush to pick a streamer (don’t even mention the DTV alternative). Besides, it seems we really don’t know what the streaming options will be in another year. Turmoil. Double, double, toil and trouble….


I gather the Hopper 3 really can’t be repurposed from Dish use. Anybody know otherwise? So if they shut down, I gather we may end up keeping them. Maybe for OTA and streaming access? Access our EHDs and other recordings, at least for a time? Funny, posting this and I haven’t had a drink.

I actually wanted DTV and Dish to merge. Maybe they would have done a new hybrid server that ran both and it would have Google TV built in? However, not sure if they would have more channel contract disputes if Ergen was in charge of the merged company.

 

[Bruce]

Sad that some will actually celebrate the demise of Dish.

I am not celebrating anything, but at the same time, I will not alter my viewpoint.

In my opinion, what Dish has done with the purchase of spectrum, I still do not understand it, they have been hoarding spectrum since 2004, yet have done nothing with it, unfortunately that is one of the reason why they are in this situation, cord cutting is the other reason.

 

[Bruce]

Just read their entire 4th quarter, not just the news stories.

Total liabilities are $36 Billion at the end of 2023, not $26B as I thought.

EchoStar Announces Financial Results for the Three and Twelve Months Ended December 31, 2023

/PRNewswire/ -- EchoStar Corporation (NASDAQ: SATS) announced its financial results for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2023. Twelve Months...

www.prnewswire.com

 

[dishdude]

Somebody will buy Dish at a fire sale

I actually agree with Juan for once, I don't see Dish going away, not at this point.

 

[NYDutch]

I actually agree with Juan for once, I don't see Dish going away, not at this point.

I have no idea how he'll pull it off, but I wouldn't count Charlie out just yet. He's had an ace up his sleeve more than once.

 

[Radioguy41]

However, not sure if they would have more channel contract disputes if Ergen was in charge of the merged company.

OK, I don't get remarks like this. Say what you want about him but he has been, as far as I can see, the only carrier who has busted his you know what to try and bring those sky rocketing costs under control and yet people constantly deride him for it like it was a bad thing. There are disputes because content owners, like Diamond, think they can corner the market and then blackmail the carriers into paying thru the nose. He fought that and yet we have the same people who complain about rising costs denegrating the one guy who was fighting to control them. Makes no sense.

As Bruce mentioned, the wildcard in all this is the FCC. After their involvement in the T-Mobile merger and their pushing for another wireless competitor I don't see them suddenly throwing in the towel this quickly. If Dish were to go into bankruptcy and the court started dispersing assets that would put the spectrum into open market where the existing carriers could/would buy it up leaving that wireless competitor dream of the FCC's a moot point. If the two options are to allow Dish to sell some spectrum or allow Dish to go bankrupt I suspect the FCC might approve some sale but only time will tell. Unless! Unless Bezos or Musk pitch a takeover of the wireless project to the FCC and they, in turn, force it on Ergen to accept. As said, the FCC is the wildcard.

 

[Yespage]

I have no idea how he'll pull it off, but I wouldn't count Charlie out just yet. He's had an ace up his sleeve more than once.

He needs money. He has 5G, he needs to make money using it. It is the only way it works. Dish is about 20,000% further along with the 5G network and mobile cell service than anyone thought possible 10 yrs ago. His problem however was he didn't include a pandemic and the supply chain hiccups turn inflation in the gameplan.

I'm not counting him out, but he needs to get more income and that means putting the 5G to work.