Dish Network 2015 Annual Report Download - page 8

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x We may be required to make substantial additional investments to maintain competitive programming
offerings.
x Any failure or inadequacy of our information technology infrastructure and communications systems, including
without limitation those caused by cyber-attacks or other malicious activities, could disrupt or harm our
business.
x We currently depend on EchoStar Corporation and its subsidiaries, or EchoStar, to design, develop and
manufacture substantially all of our new DISH branded pay-TV set-top boxes and certain related components,
to provide the vast majority of our transponder capacity, to provide digital broadcast operations and other
services to us, and to provide streaming delivery technology and infrastructure for our Sling TV services. Our
business would be adversely affected if EchoStar ceases to provide these products and services to us and we are
unable to obtain suitable replacement products and services from third parties.
x Technology in the pay-TV industry changes rapidly, and our success may depend in part on our timely
introduction and implementation of, and effective investment in, new competitive products and services and
more advanced equipment, and our failure to do so could cause our products and services to become obsolete
and could negatively impact our business.
x We rely on a single vendor or a limited number of vendors to provide certain key products or services to us
such as information technology support, billing systems, and security access devices, and the inability of these
key vendors to meet our needs could have a material adverse effect on our business.
x Our primary supplier of new set-top boxes, EchoStar, relies on a few suppliers and in some cases a single
supplier, for many components of our new set-top boxes, and any reduction or interruption in supplies or
significant increase in the price of supplies could have a negative impact on our business.
x Our programming signals are subject to theft, and we are vulnerable to other forms of fraud that could require
us to make significant expenditures to remedy.
x We depend on independent third parties to solicit orders for our services that represent a significant percentage
of our total gross new subscriber activations.
x We have limited satellite capacity and failures or reduced capacity could adversely affect our DISH branded
pay-TV business.
x Our owned and leased satellites are subject to construction, launch, operational and environmental risks that
could limit our ability to utilize these satellites.
x We generally do not carry commercial launch or in-orbit insurance on any of the satellites that we use, other
than certain satellites leased from third parties, and could face significant impairment charges if any of our
owned satellites fail.
x We may have potential conflicts of interest with EchoStar due to our common ownership and management.
x We rely on key personnel and the loss of their services may negatively affect our business.
Acquisition and Capital Structure Risks
x We have made substantial investments to acquire certain wireless spectrum licenses and other related assets. In
addition, we have made substantial non-controlling investments in the Northstar Entities and the SNR Entities
related to AWS-3 wireless spectrum licenses.
x We face certain risks related to our non-controlling investments in the Northstar Entities and the SNR Entities,
which may have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.