Press Release

EchoStar Reports Second Quarter 2002 Financial Results

By SpaceRef Editor
August 15, 2002
Filed under , ,

EchoStar Communications Corporation today reported total revenue
of approximately $1.169 billion for the quarter ended June 30, 2002, a
21 percent increase compared to $966 million for the corresponding
period in 2001.

Pre-marketing cash flow grew to $487 million during the quarter
ended June 30, 2002, a 26 percent increase compared to $387 million
during the same period in 2001. Pre-marketing cash flow for the
quarter includes the effects of non-recurring benefits totaling
approximately $10 million primarily related to the final resolution of
certain legal matters. For the quarter ended June 30, 2002, EBITDA
totaled $237 million, an improvement of $103 million compared to $134
million for the corresponding period in 2001. The EBITDA improvement
resulted primarily from increased subscribers, resulting in revenue
sufficient to support the cost of new and existing subscribers. EBITDA
for the quarter also includes the benefits of the non-recurring legal
resolutions and an adjustment of approximately $17 million primarily
to reduce accrued royalty expenses.

EchoStar’s DISH Network satellite television service added
approximately 295,000 net new subscribers during the quarter ended
June 30, 2002. DISH Network had approximately 7.46 million subscribers
as of June 30, 2002, an increase of approximately 23 percent over June
30, 2001.

EchoStar’s operating income for the quarter ended June 30, 2002,
totaled $146 million compared to operating income of $64 million
during the corresponding period in 2001. The Company’s net income
totaled $46 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2002, compared to a
net loss of $6 million during the corresponding period in 2001. Both
operating and net income include the benefits of the non-recurring
legal resolutions and the royalty adjustments. For the quarter ended
June 30, 2002, net income available to common shareholders totaled $37
million, or basic net income of $0.08 per share, compared to a net
loss attributable to common shareholders of $6 million, or $0.01 per
share, during the corresponding period in 2001. Net income available
to common shareholders for the quarter ended June 30, 2002, reflects
$9 million of non-cash charges to reflect an increase in valuation of
the contingent value rights associated with the Vivendi Universal
equity investment.

For more information about EchoStar, visit the investor relations
section of our website at www.echostar.com.

Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995: All statements contained herein, as well as statements made in
press releases and oral statements that may be made by us or by
officers, directors or employees acting on our behalf, that are not
statements of historical fact constitute “forward-looking statements”
within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks,
uncertainties and other factors that could cause our actual results to
be materially different from historical results or from any future
results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Among
the factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially
are the following: a total or partial loss of one or more satellites
due to operational failures, space debris or otherwise; delays in the
construction of our ninth satellite; an unsuccessful deployment of
future satellites; inability to settle outstanding claims with
insurers; a decrease in sales of digital equipment and related
services to international direct-to-home service providers; a decrease
in DISH Network subscriber growth; an increase in subscriber turnover;
an increase in subscriber acquisition costs; an inability to obtain
certain retransmission consents; our inability to retain necessary
authorizations from the FCC; an inability to obtain patent licenses
from holders of intellectual property or redesign our products to
avoid patent infringement; an increase in competition from cable as a
result of advanced digital cable or otherwise, direct broadcast
satellite, other satellite system operators, and other providers of
subscription television services; future acquisitions, business
combinations, strategic partnerships and divestitures; the
introduction of new technologies and competitors into the subscription
television business; a change in the regulations governing the
subscription television service industry; the outcome of any
litigation in which we may be involved; general business and economic
conditions; and other risk factors described from time to time in our
reports and statements filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission. In addition to statements that explicitly describe such
risks and uncertainties, readers are urged to consider statements that
include the terms “believes,” “belief,” “expects,” “plans,”
“anticipates,” “intends” or the like to be uncertain and
forward-looking. All cautionary statements made herein should be read
as being applicable to all forward-looking statements wherever they
appear. In this connection, investors should consider the risks
described herein and should not place undue reliance on any
forward-looking statements.

DISH Network(TM), which currently serves over 7.46 million
customers, is a trademark of EchoStar Communications Corporation. DISH
Network is EchoStar’s state-of-the-art direct broadcast satellite
system that is capable of offering over 500 channels of digital video
and CD-quality audio programming, including Dolby Digital sound,
interactive television and data services to consumers across the
United States. EchoStar is included in the Nasdaq-100 Index (NDX)
which contains the largest non-financial companies on the Nasdaq Stock
Market. Visit EchoStar’s Investor Relations website at
www.echostar.com. DISH Network is located on the Internet at
www.dishnetwork.com.

-0-

                        SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA
                  EchoStar Communications Corporation
                    (Nasdaq National Market: DISH)
         (In thousands, except subscribers and per share data)

                                               Three Months Ended June
                                                         30,
                                               -----------------------
                                                    2001         2002
                                               ---------- ------------
                                                     (Unaudited)
Statements of Operations Data
----------------------------------------------
Revenue:
 DISH Network:
   Subscription television services            $ 883,055  $ 1,071,845
   Other                                           3,245        7,843
                                               ---------- ------------
 Total DISH Network                              886,300    1,079,688
 DTH equipment sales and integration services     47,159       68,140
 Other                                            32,813       20,856
                                               ---------- ------------
Total revenue                                    966,272    1,168,684
Costs and Expenses:
 DISH Network Operating Expenses:
   Subscriber-related expenses                   358,634      429,783
   Customer service center and other              69,914       97,841
   Satellite and transmission                      8,821       14,844
                                               ---------- ------------
 Total DISH Network operating expenses           437,369      542,468
 Cost of sales -- DTH equipment and integration
  services                                        31,160       44,103
 Cost of sales -- C-band and other                22,572        9,969
 Marketing:
   Subscriber promotion subsidies                226,854      218,769
   Advertising and other                          26,877       31,563
                                               ---------- ------------
 Total marketing expenses                        253,731      250,332
 General and administrative                       87,677       85,234
 Non-cash, stock-based compensation                7,011        2,169
 Depreciation and amortization                    62,839       87,981
                                               ---------- ------------
Total costs and expenses                         902,359    1,022,256
                                               ---------- ------------
Operating income (loss)                         $ 63,913    $ 146,428
                                               ========== ============
Net income (loss)                               $ (5,855)    $ 45,840
                                               ========== ============
Net income (loss) available to common shares    $ (6,013)    $ 37,001
                                               ========== ============
Weighted-average common shares outstanding --
 basic net income (loss) per share               475,768      480,405
                                               ========== ============
Weighted-average common shares outstanding
 -- diluted net income (loss) per share          475,768      544,130
                                             ------------ ------------
Basic net income (loss) per common share         $ (0.01)      $ 0.08
                                             ------------ ------------
Diluted net income (loss) per common share       $ (0.01)      $ 0.07
                                             ============ ============

Other Data
-------------------------------------------
 Pre-marketing cash flow                       $ 387,494    $ 486,910
                                             ============ ============
 EBITDA                                        $ 133,763    $ 236,578
                                             ============ ============
 DISH Network subscribers                      6,070,000    7,460,000
                                             ============ ============

                                             December 31,   June 30,
                                                2001         2002
                                             ------------ ------------
Balance Sheets Data                                       (Unaudited)
-------------------------------------------
 Cash, cash equivalents and marketable
  investment securities                      $ 2,828,297  $ 4,351,601
 Cash reserved for satellite insurance           122,068      167,522
 Restricted cash and marketable investment
  securities                                       1,288        4,249
 Total assets                                  6,519,686    8,093,670
 Total current liabilities                     1,488,367    1,586,078
 Total long-term obligations, net of
  current portion                              5,809,091    5,815,685


                        SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA
                  EchoStar Communications Corporation
                    (Nasdaq National Market: DISH)
                 (In thousands, except per share data)
                              (Unaudited)

                                             Six Months Ended June 30,
                                             -------------------------
                                                 2001         2002
                                             ------------ ------------
Statements of Operations Data
--------------------------------------------
Revenue:
 DISH Network:
   Subscription television services          $ 1,677,503  $ 2,087,902
   Other                                           5,728       10,670
                                             ------------ ------------
 Total DISH Network                            1,683,231    2,098,572
 DTH equipment sales and integration
  services                                        88,178      125,190
 Other                                            56,793       49,390
                                             ------------ ------------
Total revenue                                  1,828,202    2,273,152
Costs and Expenses:
 DISH Network Operating Expenses:
   Subscriber-related expenses                   674,969      838,010
   Customer service center and other             134,696      180,692
   Satellite and transmission                     17,916       28,022
                                             ------------ ------------
 Total DISH Network operating expenses           827,581    1,046,724
 Cost of sales -- DTH equipment and
  integration services                            59,996       83,479
 Cost of sales -- C-band and other                38,501       26,170
 Marketing:
   Subscriber promotion subsidies                500,085      453,074
   Advertising and other                          53,804       68,886
                                             ------------ ------------
 Total marketing expenses                        553,889      521,960
 General and administrative                      163,349      179,759
 Non-cash, stock-based compensation               14,467        3,835
 Depreciation and amortization                   121,689      169,518
                                             ------------ ------------
Total costs and expenses                       1,779,472    2,031,445
                                             ------------ ------------
Operating income (loss)                         $ 48,730    $ 241,707
                                             ============ ============
Net income (loss)                             $ (175,722)     $ 7,232
                                             ============ ============
Net loss attributable to common shares        $ (176,058)   $ (60,006)
                                             ============ ============
Weighted-average common shares outstanding --
 basic and diluted net loss per common share     475,169      480,070
                                             ============ ============
Basic and diluted net loss per common share      $ (0.37)     $ (0.12)
                                             ============ ============

Other Data
--------------------------------------------
 Pre-marketing cash flow                       $ 738,775    $ 937,020
                                             ============ ============
 EBITDA                                        $ 184,886    $ 415,060
                                             ============ ============



Contact:

     EchoStar Communications Corporation
     Marc Lumpkin, 303/723-2020
     marc.lumpkin@echostar.com
      or
     Kim Culig, 303/723-1277
     kim.culig@echostar.com

SpaceRef staff editor.