10-Q 1 a2205599z10-q.htm 10-Q

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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-Q

(Mark One)    

ý

 

QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the quarterly period ended September 30, 2011

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 333-106529

DIRECTV HOLDINGS LLC
DIRECTV FINANCING CO., INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

DIRECTV Holdings LLC—Delaware
DIRECTV Financing Co., Inc.—Delaware
  25-1902628
59-3772785
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)
  (I.R.S. Employer
Identification Number)

2230 East Imperial Highway,
El Segundo, California

 

90245
(Address of principal executive offices)   (Zip Code)

(310) 964-5000
(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)

N/A
(Former name, former address and former fiscal year, if changed since last report)

        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 ý 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 ý No 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 definitions of "large accelerated filer," "accelerated filer" and "smaller reporting company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Large accelerated filer o   Accelerated filer o   Non-accelerated filer ý
(Do not check if a smaller
reporting company)
  Smaller reporting company o

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

        The registrant has met the conditions set forth in General Instructions H(1) (a) and (b) of Form 10-Q and is therefore filing this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q with the reduced disclosure format.


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DIRECTV HOLDINGS LLC


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DIRECTV HOLDINGS LLC

PART I—FINANCIAL INFORMATION

ITEM 1.    FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

(Unaudited)

 
 
Three Months Ended
September 30,
 
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
 
 
 
2011
 
2010
 
2011
 
2010
 
 
  (Dollars in Millions)
 

Revenues

  $ 5,421   $ 5,031   $ 15,843   $ 14,737  

Operating costs and expenses

                         
 

Costs of revenues, exclusive of depreciation and amortization expense

                         
   

Broadcast programming and other

    2,411     2,125     6,818     6,158  
   

Subscriber service expenses

    375     351     1,081     999  
   

Broadcast operations expenses

    75     68     224     203  
 

Selling, general and administrative expenses, exclusive of depreciation and amortization expense

                         
   

Subscriber acquisition costs

    793     724     2,101     1,929  
   

Upgrade and retention costs

    332     306     889     815  
   

General and administrative expenses

    282     265     768     741  
 

Depreciation and amortization expense

    353     472     1,225     1,465  
                   

Total operating costs and expenses

    4,621     4,311     13,106     12,310  
                   

Operating profit

    800     720     2,737     2,427  

Interest income

            1     4  

Interest expense

    (177 )   (131 )   (519 )   (344 )

Other, net

    6     (9 )   29     (9 )
                   

Income before income taxes

    629     580     2,248     2,078  

Income tax expense

    (237 )   (228 )   (848 )   (811 )
                   

Net income

  $ 392   $ 352   $ 1,400   $ 1,267  
                   

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these Consolidated Financial Statements.

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DIRECTV HOLDINGS LLC

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(Unaudited)

 
 
September 30,
2011
 
December 31,
2010
 
 
  (Dollars in Millions)
 

ASSETS

             

Current assets

             
 

Cash and cash equivalents

  $ 807   $ 687  
 

Accounts receivable, net of allowances of $67 and $46

    1,792     1,735  
 

Inventories

    286     227  
 

Prepaid expenses and other

    366     187  
           
   

Total current assets

    3,251     2,836  

Satellites, net

    1,742     1,794  

Property and equipment, net

    2,984     2,832  

Goodwill

    3,177     3,176  

Intangible assets, net

    463     495  

Other assets

    258     267  
           
   

Total assets

  $ 11,875   $ 11,400  
           

LIABILITIES AND OWNER'S DEFICIT

             

Current liabilities

             
 

Accounts payable and accrued liabilities

  $ 2,705   $ 2,977  
 

Unearned subscriber revenues and deferred credits

    424     378  
           
   

Total current liabilities

    3,129     3,355  

Long-term debt

    13,463     10,472  

Deferred income taxes

    1,180     906  

Other liabilities and deferred credits

    242     288  

Commitments and contingencies

             

Owner's deficit

             
 

Capital stock and additional paid-in capital

    13     7  
 

Accumulated deficit

    (6,152 )   (3,628 )
           
   

Total owner's deficit

    (6,139 )   (3,621 )
           
   

Total liabilities and owner's deficit

  $ 11,875   $ 11,400  
           

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these Consolidated Financial Statements.

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DIRECTV HOLDINGS LLC

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(Unaudited)

 
 
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
 
 
 
2011
 
2010
 
 
  (Dollars in Millions)
 

Cash Flows from Operating Activities

             

Net income

  $ 1,400   $ 1,267  

Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:

             
 

Depreciation and amortization

    1,225     1,465  
 

Amortization of deferred revenues and deferred credits

    (27 )   (27 )
 

Share-based compensation expense

    62     50  
 

Deferred income taxes

    260     193  
 

Other

    (34 )   25  
 

Change in other operating assets and liabilities:

             
   

Accounts receivable

    (42 )   (103 )
   

Inventories

    (59 )   33  
   

Prepaid expenses and other

    (177 )   (185 )
   

Accounts payable and accrued liabilities

    (220 )   5  
   

Unearned subscriber revenue and deferred credits

    46     115  
   

Other, net

    (10 )   (19 )
           
     

Net cash provided by operating activities

    2,424     2,819  
           

Cash Flows from Investing Activities

             
 

Cash paid for property and equipment

    (404 )   (349 )
 

Cash paid for subscriber leased equipment—subscriber acquisitions

    (546 )   (437 )
 

Cash paid for subscriber leased equipment—upgrade and retention

    (236 )   (232 )
 

Cash paid for satellites

    (83 )   (99 )
 

Investment in companies, net of cash acquired

    (11 )   (1 )
 

Proceeds from sale of investments

    55      
 

Other, net

    1     3  
           
     

Net cash used in investing activities

    (1,224 )   (1,115 )
           

Cash Flows from Financing Activities

             
 

Cash proceeds from debt issuance

    3,990     5,978  
 

Debt issuance costs

    (30 )   (44 )
 

Repayment of long-term debt

    (1,000 )   (2,323 )
 

Repayment of other long-term obligations

    (61 )   (73 )
 

Cash dividends to Parent

    (4,000 )   (5,500 )
 

Excess tax benefit from share-based compensation

    21     8  
           
     

Net cash used in financing activities

    (1,080 )   (1,954 )
           

Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents

    120     (250 )

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of the period

    687     1,716  
           

Cash and cash equivalents at end of the period

  $ 807   $ 1,466  
           

Supplemental cash flow information

             

Cash paid for interest

  $ 512   $ 248  

Cash paid for income taxes

    691     717  

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these Consolidated Financial Statements.

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DIRECTV HOLDINGS LLC

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(Unaudited)

Note 1: Basis of Presentation

        DIRECTV Holdings LLC is an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of DIRECTV and consists of DIRECTV Enterprises, LLC and its wholly-owned subsidiaries and DIRECTV Financing Co., Inc., or DIRECTV Financing. We sometimes refer to DIRECTV Holdings LLC as DIRECTV Holdings, DIRECTV U.S., we or us and sometimes refer to DIRECTV as our Parent. We are the largest provider of direct-to-home, or DTH, digital television services and the second largest provider in the multi-channel video programming distribution, or MVPD, industry in the United States.

        We have prepared the accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, or GAAP, for interim financial reporting. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting only of normal recurring items) that are necessary for a fair presentation have been included. The results for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of results that may be expected for any other interim period or for the full year. For further information, refer to the consolidated financial statements and footnotes thereto included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010 filed with the SEC on February 28, 2011, our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2011 filed with the SEC on May 6, 2011, our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2011 filed with the SEC on August 5, 2011 and all of our other filings, including Current Reports on Form 8-K, filed with the SEC after such date and through the date of this report.

        We prepare our consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP, which requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect amounts reported herein. We base our estimates and assumptions on historical experience and on various other factors that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances. Due to the inherent uncertainty involved in making estimates, our actual results reported in future periods may be affected by changes in those estimates.

Note 2: Divestiture

        In April 2011, we sold an equity method investment for $55 million in cash. As a result of this sale, we recognized a $37 million gain, or $23 million after tax, on the sale in "Other, net" in the Consolidated Statements of Operations, which represents the difference between the selling price and the carrying amount of the equity method investment sold.

Note 3: Accounting Change and Change in Accounting Estimate

Accounting Change

    Revenue Recognition

        On January 1, 2011 we adopted the revisions issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board to the standard for revenue arrangements with multiple deliverables. The revised standard allows entities to use the "best estimate of selling price" in addition to third-party evidence or actual selling prices for determining the fair value of a deliverable, and includes additional disclosure requirements. The adoption of this change did not have an effect on our consolidated results of operations and financial position.

        We enter into multiple-deliverable revenue arrangements with our subscribers under which we provide DIRECTV receiving equipment and installation at the inception of the arrangement, and programming during their contract period of up to two years. We allocate consideration to each deliverable in the arrangement based on its relative selling price. We determine the selling price of the

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DIRECTV HOLDINGS LLC

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(Unaudited)


DIRECTV receiving equipment using our best estimate. We determine the selling price for installation services based on prices charged by third parties. We determine the selling price of the programming using our standard programming rates. The DIRECTV receiving equipment, installation services and programming are each considered separate units of accounting.

        We recognize subscription and pay-per-view revenues when programming is broadcast to subscribers. We recognize subscriber fees for multiple set-top receivers, warranty services and equipment rental as revenue, as earned. We recognize advertising revenues when the related services are performed. We defer programming payments received from subscribers in advance of the broadcast as "Unearned subscriber revenues and deferred credits" in the Consolidated Balance Sheets until earned. We recognize revenues to be received under contractual commitments on a straight line basis over the minimum contractual period. We report revenues net of customer credits and discounted promotions.

Change in Accounting Estimate

    Depreciable Lives of Leased Set-Top Receivers

        We currently lease most set-top receivers provided to new and existing subscribers and therefore capitalize the cost of those set-top receivers. We depreciate capitalized set-top receivers over the estimated useful life of the equipment. In our Form 10-K, we disclosed the possibility of a change in useful life for set-top receivers in the near term because we had begun to see indications that useful lives were increasing. As a result of the completion of an extensive evaluation of the estimated useful life of the set-top receivers, including consideration of historical write-offs, improved efficiencies in our refurbishment program, improved set-top receiver failure rates over time and management's judgment of the risk of technological obsolescence, we determined that the estimated useful life of high-definition, or HD, set-top receivers used in our business has increased to four years, from three years as previously estimated. We will continue to depreciate standard definition set-top receivers over a three year estimated useful life. We are accounting for this change in the useful life of the HD set-top receivers as a change in an accounting estimate beginning July 1, 2011. This change had the effect of reducing depreciation and amortization expense and increasing net income in our consolidated results of operations as follows:

 
 
Three Months
Ended
September 30,
2011
 
Nine Months
Ended
September 30,
2011
 
 
  (Dollars in Millions)
 

Depreciation and amortization expense

  $ (76 ) $ (76 )

Net income

    47     47  

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DIRECTV HOLDINGS LLC

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(Unaudited)

Note 4: Debt

    Senior Notes

        The following table sets forth our outstanding senior notes balance as of:

 
 
Principal amount
 
Carrying value, net of unamortized original issue discounts or including premium
 
 
 
September 30,
2011
 
September 30,
2011
 
December 31,
2010
 
 
   
  (Dollars in Millions)
 

4.750% senior notes due 2014

  $ 1,000   $ 998   $ 998  

3.550% senior notes due 2015

    1,200     1,199     1,199  

6.375% senior notes due 2015

            1,002  

3.125% senior notes due 2016

    750     750     750  

3.500% senior notes due 2016

    1,500     1,498      

7.625% senior notes due 2016

    1,500     1,500     1,500  

5.875% senior notes due 2019

    1,000     994     994  

5.200% senior notes due 2020

    1,300     1,298     1,298  

4.600% senior notes due 2021

    1,000     999     999  

5.000% senior notes due 2021

    1,500     1,494      

6.350% senior notes due 2040

    500     499     499  

6.000% senior notes due 2040

    1,250     1,234     1,233  

6.375% senior notes due 2041

    1,000     1,000      
               
 

Total senior notes

  $ 13,500   $ 13,463   $ 10,472  
               

        The fair value of our senior notes was approximately $14,418 million at September 30, 2011 and $10,881 million at December 31, 2010. We calculated the fair values based on quoted market prices of our senior notes, which is a Level 1 input under accounting guidance for fair value measurements of assets and liabilities.

        All of our senior notes were issued by us and have been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. All of our senior notes are unsecured and have been fully and unconditionally guaranteed, jointly and severally, by substantially all of our domestic subsidiaries. Principal on the senior notes is payable upon maturity, while interest is payable semi-annually.

        As of September 30, 2011, we had the ability to borrow up to $2 billion under a revolving credit facility discussed below.

    2011 Financing Transactions

        On March 10, 2011 we issued the following senior notes:

 
 
Principal
 
Proceeds, net
of discount
 
 
  (Dollars in Millions)
 

3.500% senior notes due 2016

  $ 1,500   $ 1,497  

5.000% senior notes due 2021

    1,500     1,493  

6.375% senior notes due 2041

    1,000     1,000  
           

  $ 4,000   $ 3,990  
           

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DIRECTV HOLDINGS LLC

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(Unaudited)

        We incurred $24 million of debt issuance costs in connection with this transaction.

        On March 17, 2011, we purchased, pursuant to a tender offer, $341 million of our then outstanding $1,002 million of 6.375% senior notes due in 2015, representing approximately 34% of the total outstanding principal of these notes, at a price of 103.313%, plus accrued and unpaid interest. On June 15, 2011, we redeemed, pursuant to the terms of our indenture, the remaining $659 million of our outstanding 6.375% senior notes due 2015, at a price of 102.125%, plus accrued and unpaid interest. We recorded a pre-tax charge of $25 million, $16 million after tax, during the nine months ended September 30, 2011, as a result of the redemptions, primarily for the premiums paid. The pre-tax charge was recorded in "Other, net" in our Consolidated Statements of Operations.

    2010 Financing Transactions

        On August 17, 2010, pursuant to a registration statement, we issued the following senior notes:

 
 
Principal
 
Proceeds, net
of discount
 
 
  (Dollars in Millions)
 

3.125% senior notes due in 2016

  $ 750   $ 750  

4.600% senior notes due in 2021

    1,000     999  

6.000% senior notes due in 2040

    1,250     1,233  
           

  $ 3,000   $ 2,982  
           

        We incurred $19 million of debt issuance costs in connection with this transaction.

        On August 20, 2010, we repaid the $1,220 million of remaining principal on Term Loans A and B of our senior secured credit facility. The repayment of Term Loans A and B resulted in a third quarter 2010 pre-tax charge of $7 million, $4 million after tax, resulting from the write-off of deferred debt issuance and other transaction costs. The charge was recorded in "Other, net" in our Consolidated Statements of Operations.

        On March 11, 2010 we issued the following senior notes:

 
 
Principal
 
Proceeds, net
of discount
 
 
  (Dollars in Millions)
 

3.550% senior notes due 2015

  $ 1,200   $ 1,199  

5.200% senior notes due 2020

    1,300     1,298  

6.350% senior notes due 2040

    500     499  
           

  $ 3,000   $ 2,996  
           

        We incurred $17 million of debt issuance costs in connection with this transaction.

        On March 16, 2010, we repaid the $985 million of remaining principal on Term Loan C of our senior secured credit facility. The repayment of Term Loan C resulted in a first quarter 2010 pre-tax charge of $9 million, $6 million after tax, of which $6 million resulted from the write-off of unamortized discount and $3 million resulted from the write-off of deferred debt issuance and other transaction costs. The charge was recorded in "Other, net" in our Consolidated Statements of Operations.

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DIRECTV HOLDINGS LLC

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(Unaudited)

    Credit Facilities

        At December 31, 2010, our senior secured credit facility consisted of a $500 million undrawn six-year revolving credit facility.

        In February 2011, our senior secured credit facility was terminated and replaced by a five-year, $2.0 billion revolving credit facility. We pay a commitment fee of .30% per year for the unused commitment under the revolving credit facility, and borrowings will bear interest at an annual rate of (i) the London interbank offer rate (LIBOR) (or for Euro advances the EURIBOR rate) plus 1.50% or at our option (ii) the higher of the prime rate plus 0.50% or the Fed Funds Rate plus 1.00%. The commitment fee and the annual interest rate may be increased or decreased under certain conditions, which include changes in our long-term, unsecured debt ratings. The revolving credit facility has been fully and unconditionally guaranteed, jointly and severally, by substantially all of our subsidiaries on a senior unsecured basis.

    Covenants and Restrictions

        The revolving credit facility requires us to maintain at the end of each fiscal quarter a specified ratio of indebtedness to adjusted net income. The revolving credit facility also includes covenants that restrict our ability to, among other things, (i) incur additional subsidiary indebtedness, (ii) incur liens, (iii) enter into certain transactions with affiliates, (iv) merge or consolidate with another entity, (v) sell, assign, lease or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of our assets, and (vi) change our lines of business. Additionally, the senior notes contain restrictive covenants that are similar. Should we fail to comply with these covenants, all or a portion of our borrowings under the senior notes could become immediately payable and our revolving credit facility could be terminated. At September 30, 2011, we were in compliance with all such covenants. The senior notes and revolving credit facility also provide that the borrowings may be required to be prepaid if certain change-in-control events occur.

Note 5: Commitments and Contingencies

Commitments

    Satellite Commitments

        We have entered into contracts for the construction and launch of two new satellites: D14, which we expect to launch in the first quarter of 2014 and D15, which we expect to launch in the fourth quarter of 2014. D14 and D15 are expected to provide us additional HD, replacement, and backup capacity.

        Total cash payments under these agreements aggregate to $580 million, payable as follows $53 million in the remainder of 2011, $215 million in 2012, $229 million in 2013, $57 million in 2014, and $26 million in 2015.

Contingencies

    Litigation

        Litigation is subject to uncertainties and the outcome of individual litigated matters is not predictable with assurance. Various legal actions, claims and proceedings are pending against us arising in the ordinary course of business. We have established loss provisions for matters in which losses are probable and can be reasonably estimated. Some of the matters may involve compensatory, punitive, or

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DIRECTV HOLDINGS LLC

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(Unaudited)

treble damage claims, or demands that, if granted, could require us to pay damages or make other expenditures in amounts that could not be estimated at September 30, 2011. After discussion with counsel representing us in those actions, it is the opinion of management that such litigation is not expected to have a material effect on our consolidated financial statements.

        Intellectual Property Litigation.    We are a defendant in several unrelated lawsuits claiming infringement of various patents relating to various aspects of our businesses. In certain of these cases other industry participants are also defendants, and also in certain of these cases we expect that any potential liability would be the responsibility of our equipment vendors pursuant to applicable contractual indemnification provisions. To the extent that the allegations in these lawsuits can be analyzed by us at this stage of their proceedings, we believe the claims are without merit and intend to defend the actions vigorously. We have determined that the likelihood of a material liability in such matters is remote or have made appropriate accruals and the final disposition of these claims is not expected to have a material effect on our consolidated financial position. However, if an adverse ruling is made in a lawsuit involving key intellectual property, such ruling could result in a loss that would be material to our consolidated results of operations of any one period. No assurance can be given that any adverse outcome would not be material to our consolidated financial position.

        Early Cancellation Fees.    In 2008, a number of plaintiffs filed putative class action lawsuits in state and federal courts challenging the early cancellation fees we assess our customers when they do not fulfill their programming commitments. Several of these lawsuits are pending—some in California state court purporting to represent statewide classes, and some in federal courts purporting to represent nationwide classes. The lawsuits seek both monetary and injunctive relief. While the theories of liability vary, the lawsuits generally challenge these fees under state consumer protection laws as both unfair and inadequately disclosed to customers. In light of the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision in AT&T Mobility LLC v. Concepcion, we intend to move to compel these cases to arbitration in accordance with our Customer Agreement. We believe that our early cancellation fees are adequately disclosed, and represent reasonable estimates of the costs we incur when customers cancel service before fulfilling their programming commitments.

        From time to time, we receive investigative inquiries or subpoenas from state and federal authorities with respect to alleged violations of state and federal statutes. These inquiries may lead to legal proceedings in some cases. We have received a request for information from the Federal Trade Commission, or FTC, on issues similar to those recently resolved with a multistate group of state attorneys general. We are cooperating with the FTC by providing information about our sales and marketing practices and customer complaints.

    Satellites

        We may purchase in-orbit and launch insurance to mitigate the potential financial impact of satellite launch and in-orbit failures if the premium costs are considered economic relative to the risk of satellite failure. The insurance generally covers the unamortized book value of covered satellites. We do not insure against lost revenues in the event of a total or partial loss of the capacity of a satellite. We generally rely on in-orbit spare satellites and excess transponder capacity at key orbital slots to mitigate the impact a satellite failure could have on our ability to provide service. At September 30, 2011, the net book value of in-orbit satellites was $1,577 million, all of which was uninsured.

        During the third quarter of 2011, the propulsion system used to maintain our D10 satellite's position in orbit temporarily ceased to function. If the propulsion system were to permanently fail, we

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DIRECTV HOLDINGS LLC

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(Unaudited)


would be required to de-orbit the satellite and record an impairment charge for its remaining book value, which was approximately $274 million at September 30, 2011. We currently have sufficient backup capacity to continue broadcasting most of the channels broadcast from this satellite; however, we would lose some of our HD pay-per-view channels if this satellite has to be de-orbited before additional capacity becomes available. We do not believe the loss of such channels would materially affect our results of operations or financial position.

Note 6: Related Party Transactions

        In the ordinary course of our operations, we enter into transactions with related parties as discussed below.

    DIRECTV and affiliates

        We determine our income taxes based upon our tax sharing agreement with our Parent, which generally provides that the current income tax liability or receivable be computed as if we were a separate taxpayer. Payments made to our Parent under this tax sharing arrangement were $658 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2011 and $698 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2010. We also receive an allocation of employee benefit expenses from our Parent. We believe that our consolidated financial statements reflect our cost of doing business in accordance with SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin Topic 1.B, "Allocation of Expenses and Related Disclosures in Financial Statements of Subsidiaries, Divisions or Lesser Business Components of Another Entity."

        We paid dividends to our Parent of $4,000 million during the nine months ended September 30, 2011 and $5,500 million during the nine months ended September 30, 2010 from available cash and cash equivalents. In October 2011, we paid a $400 million dividend to our Parent.

        Transactions with regional sports networks owned by our Parent are also included as transactions with DIRECTV and affiliates.

    Liberty Media, Liberty Global and Discovery Communications

        On June 16, 2010, our Parent completed a transaction with Dr. John Malone and his family, which we refer to as the Malones, which resulted in the reduction of the Malones' voting interest in our Parent from approximately 24% to approximately 3% and Dr. Malone's concurrent resignation from our Parent's Board of Directors. Transactions with Liberty Media, Discovery Communications, Inc. and Liberty Global, Inc. and their subsidiaries or equity method investees were considered to be related party transactions as a result of Dr. Malone's ownership interest and management roles for these entities. Such transactions consisted primarily of purchases of programming created, owned or distributed by these entities.

        The majority of payments under contractual arrangements with Liberty Media, Discovery Communications, Inc. and Liberty Global, Inc. entities relate to multi-year programming contracts. Payments under these contracts are typically subject to annual rate increases and are based on the number of subscribers receiving the related programming.

    Other

        Companies in which we hold equity method investments are also considered related parties.

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DIRECTV HOLDINGS LLC

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(Unaudited)

        Transactions with the Game Show Network, in which our Parent holds an equity method investment, are also included as transactions with Other.

        The majority of payments under contractual arrangements with related parties are pursuant to multi-year programming contracts. Payments under these contracts are typically subject to annual rate increases and are based on the number of subscribers receiving the related programming.

        The following table summarizes sales to, and purchases from, related parties:

 
 
Three Months
Ended
September 30,
 
Nine Months
Ended
September 30,
 
 
 
2011
 
2010
 
2011
 
2010
 
 
  (Dollars in Millions)
 

Sales:

                         

Liberty Media and affiliates

  $   $   $   $ 26  

Discovery Communications, Liberty Global and affiliates

                5  

DIRECTV and affiliates

    2     1     6     5  

Other

        3     1     4  
                   
 

Total

  $ 2   $ 4   $ 7   $ 40  
                   

Purchases:

                         

Liberty Media and affiliates

  $   $   $   $ 143  

Discovery Communications, Liberty Global and affiliates

                111  

DIRECTV and affiliates

    15     14     43     41  

Other

    20     23     67     68  
                   
 

Total

  $ 35   $ 37   $ 110   $ 363  
                   

        The following table sets forth the amount of accounts receivable from and accounts payable to related parties as of:

 
 
September 30,
2011
 
December 31,
2010
 
 
  (Dollars in Millions)
 

Accounts receivable

  $ 3   $ 9  

Accounts payable

    51     63  

        The accounts receivable and accounts payable balances as of September 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010 are primarily related to intercompany transactions with our Parent.

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DIRECTV HOLDINGS LLC

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(Unaudited)

Note 7: Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements

        The following presents the condensed consolidating statements of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2011 and September 30, 2010, the condensed consolidating balance sheets as of September 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010, and the condensed consolidating statements of cash flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2011 and September 30, 2010 of DIRECTV Holdings together with DIRECTV Financing, or the Co-Issuers, and each of DIRECTV Holdings' material subsidiaries (other than DIRECTV Financing), or the Guarantor Subsidiaries, and the eliminations necessary to present DIRECTV Holdings' financial statements on a consolidated basis. These condensed consolidating financial statements should be read in conjunction with the accompanying consolidated financial statements of DIRECTV Holdings.

Condensed Consolidating Statement of Operations
For the Three Months Ended September 30, 2011

 
 
Co-Issuers
 
Guarantor
Subsidiaries
 
Eliminations
 
DIRECTV
Holdings
Consolidated
 
 
  (Dollars in Millions)
 

Revenues

  $ 178   $ 5,421   $ (178 ) $ 5,421  

Operating costs and expenses

                         
 

Costs of revenues, exclusive of depreciation and amortization expense

                         
   

Broadcast programming and other

        2,411         2,411  
   

Subscriber service expenses

        375         375  
   

Broadcast operations expenses

        75         75  
 

Selling, general and administrative expenses, exclusive of depreciation and amortization expense

                         
   

Subscriber acquisition costs

        793         793  
   

Upgrade and retention costs

        332         332  
   

General and administrative expenses

        460     (178 )   282  
 

Depreciation and amortization expense

        353         353  
                   
   

Total operating costs and expenses

        4,799     (178 )   4,621  
                   

Operating profit

    178     622         800  

Equity in income of consolidated subsidiaries

    391         (391 )    

Interest expense

    (176 )   (1 )       (177 )

Other, net

        6         6  
                   

Income (loss) before income taxes

    393     627     (391 )   629  

Income expense

    (1 )   (236 )       (237 )
                   

Net income (loss)

  $ 392   $ 391   $ (391 ) $ 392  
                   

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DIRECTV HOLDINGS LLC

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(Unaudited)

Condensed Consolidating Statement of Operations
For the Three Months Ended September 30, 2010

 
 
Co-Issuers
 
Guarantor
Subsidiaries
 
Eliminations
 
DIRECTV
Holdings
Consolidated
 
 
  (Dollars in Millions)
 

Revenues

  $ 119   $ 5,031   $ (119 ) $ 5,031  

Operating costs and expenses

                         
 

Costs of revenues, exclusive of depreciation and amortization expense

                         
   

Broadcast programming and other

        2,125         2,125  
   

Subscriber service expenses

        351         351  
   

Broadcast operations expenses

        68         68  
 

Selling, general and administrative expenses, exclusive of depreciation and amortization expense

                         
   

Subscriber acquisition costs

        724         724  
   

Upgrade and retention costs

        306         306  
   

General and administrative expenses

        384     (119 )   265  
 

Depreciation and amortization expense

        472         472  
                   
   

Total operating costs and expenses

        4,430     (119 )   4,311  
                   

Operating profit

    119     601         720  

Equity in income of consolidated subsidiaries

    367         (367 )    

Interest expense

    (129 )   (2 )       (131 )

Other, net

    (15 )   6         (9 )
                   

Income (loss) before income taxes

    342     605     (367 )   580  

Income tax benefit (expense)

    10     (238 )       (228 )
                   

Net income (loss)

  $ 352   $ 367   $ (367 ) $ 352  
                   

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DIRECTV HOLDINGS LLC

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(Unaudited)

Condensed Consolidating Statement of Operations
For the Nine Months Ended September 30, 2011

 
 
Co-Issuers
 
Guarantor
Subsidiaries
 
Eliminations
 
DIRECTV
Holdings
Consolidated
 
 
  (Dollars in Millions)
 

Revenues

  $ 505   $ 15,843   $ (505 ) $ 15,843  

Operating costs and expenses

                         
 

Costs of revenues, exclusive of depreciation and amortization expense

                         
   

Broadcast programming and other

        6,818         6,818  
   

Subscriber service expenses

        1,081         1,081  
   

Broadcast operations expenses

        224         224  
 

Selling, general and administrative expenses, exclusive of depreciation and amortization expense

                         
   

Subscriber acquisition costs

        2,101         2,101  
   

Upgrade and retention costs

        889         889  
   

General and administrative expenses

        1,273     (505 )   768  
 

Depreciation and amortization expense

        1,225         1,225  
                   
   

Total operating costs and expenses

        13,611     (505 )   13,106  
                   

Operating profit

    505     2,232         2,737  

Equity in income of consolidated subsidiaries

    1,423         (1,423 )    

Interest income

        1         1  

Interest expense

    (516 )   (3 )       (519 )

Other, net

    (25 )   54         29  
                   

Income (loss) before income taxes

    1,387     2,284     (1,423 )   2,248  

Income tax benefit (expense)

    13     (861 )       (848 )
                   

Net income (loss)

  $ 1,400   $ 1,423   $ (1,423 ) $ 1,400  
                   

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DIRECTV HOLDINGS LLC

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(Unaudited)

Condensed Consolidating Statement of Operations
For the Nine Months Ended September 30, 2010

 
 
Co-Issuers
 
Guarantor
Subsidiaries
 
Eliminations
 
DIRECTV
Holdings
Consolidated
 
 
  (Dollars in Millions)
 

Revenues

  $ 320   $ 14,737   $ (320 ) $ 14,737  

Operating costs and expenses

                         
 

Costs of revenues, exclusive of depreciation and amortization expense

                         
   

Broadcast programming and other

        6,158         6,158  
   

Subscriber service expenses

        999         999  
   

Broadcast operations expenses

        203         203  
 

Selling, general and administrative expenses, exclusive of depreciation and amortization expense

                         
   

Subscriber acquisition costs

        1,929         1,929  
   

Upgrade and retention costs

        815         815  
   

General and administrative expenses

        1,061     (320 )   741  
 

Depreciation and amortization expense

        1,465         1,465  
                   
   

Total operating costs and expenses

        12,630     (320 )   12,310  
                   

Operating profit

    320     2,107         2,427  

Equity in income of consolidated subsidiaries

    1,293         (1,293 )    

Interest income

    1     3         4  

Interest expense

    (338 )   (6 )       (344 )

Other, net

    (25 )   16         (9 )
                   

Income (loss) before income taxes

    1,251     2,120     (1,293 )   2,078  

Income tax benefit (expense)

    16     (827 )       (811 )
                   

Net income (loss)

  $ 1,267   $ 1,293   $ (1,293 ) $ 1,267  
                   

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DIRECTV HOLDINGS LLC

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(Unaudited)

Condensed Consolidating Balance Sheet
As of September 30, 2011

 
 
Co-Issuers
 
Guarantor
Subsidiaries
 
Eliminations
 
DIRECTV
Holdings
Consolidated
 
 
  (Dollars in Millions)
 

ASSETS

                         

Total current assets

  $ 871   $ 2,435   $ (55 ) $ 3,251  

Satellites, net

        1,742         1,742  

Property and equipment, net

        2,984         2,984  

Goodwill

    1,828     1,349         3,177  

Intangible assets, net

        463         463  

Other assets

    15,384     7,220     (22,346 )   258  
                   

Total assets

  $ 18,083   $ 16,193   $ (22,401 ) $ 11,875  
                   

LIABILITIES AND OWNER'S EQUITY (DEFICIT)

                         

Total current liabilities

  $ 160   $ 3,022   $ (53 ) $ 3,129  

Long-term debt

    13,463             13,463  

Deferred income taxes

        1,397     (217 )   1,180  

Other liabilities and deferred credits

    10,599     244     (10,601 )   242  

Owner's equity (deficit)

                         
 

Capital stock and additional paid-in capital

    13     4,684     (4,684 )   13  
 

Retained earnings (accumulated deficit)

    (6,152 )   6,846     (6,846 )   (6,152 )
                   
   

Total owner's equity (deficit)

    (6,139 )   11,530     (11,530 )   (6,139 )
                   

Total liabilities and owner's equity (deficit)

  $ 18,083   $ 16,193   $ (22,401 ) $ 11,875  
                   

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DIRECTV HOLDINGS LLC

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(Unaudited)

Condensed Consolidating Balance Sheet
As of December 31, 2010

 
 
Co-Issuers
 
Guarantor
Subsidiaries
 
Eliminations
 
DIRECTV
Holdings
Consolidated
 
 
  (Dollars in Millions)
 

ASSETS

                         

Total current assets

  $ 743   $ 2,147   $ (54 ) $ 2,836  

Satellites, net

        1,794         1,794  

Property and equipment, net

        2,832         2,832  

Goodwill

    1,828     1,348         3,176  

Intangible assets, net

        495         495  

Other assets

    13,032     6,069     (18,834 )   267  
                   

Total assets

  $ 15,603   $ 14,685   $ (18,888 ) $ 11,400  
                   

LIABILITIES AND OWNER'S EQUITY (DEFICIT)

                         

Total current liabilities

  $ 160   $ 3,247   $ (52 ) $ 3,355  

Long-term debt

    10,472             10,472  

Deferred income taxes

        1,123     (217 )   906  

Other liabilities and deferred credits

    8,592     289     (8,593 )   288  

Owner's equity (deficit)

                         
 

Capital stock and additional paid-in capital

    7     4,602     (4,602 )   7  
 

Retained earnings (accumulated deficit)

    (3,628 )   5,424     (5,424 )   (3,628 )
                   
   

Total owner's equity (deficit)

    (3,621 )   10,026     (10,026 )   (3,621 )
                   

Total liabilities and owner's equity (deficit)

  $ 15,603   $ 14,685   $ (18,888 ) $ 11,400  
                   

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DIRECTV HOLDINGS LLC

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(Unaudited)

Condensed Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows
For the Nine Months Ended September 30, 2011

 
 
Co-Issuers
 
Guarantor
Subsidiaries
 
DIRECTV
Holdings
Consolidated
 
 
  (Dollars in Millions)
 

Cash flows from operating activities

                   
 

Net cash provided by operating activities

  $ 1,148   $ 1,276   $ 2,424  
               

Cash flows from investing activities

                   
 

Cash paid for property and equipment

        (404 )   (404 )
 

Cash paid for subscriber leased equipment—subscriber acquisition

        (546 )   (546 )
 

Cash paid for subscriber leased equipment—upgrade and retention

        (236 )   (236 )
 

Cash paid for satellites

        (83 )   (83 )
 

Investment in companies, net of cash acquired

        (11 )   (11 )
 

Proceeds from sale of investments

        55     55  
 

Other

        1     1  
               
   

Net cash used in investing activities

        (1,224 )   (1,224 )
               

Cash flows from financing activities

                   
 

Cash proceeds from debt issuance

    3,990         3,990  
 

Debt issuance costs

    (30 )       (30 )
 

Repayment of long-term debt

    (1,000 )       (1,000 )
 

Repayment of other long-term obligations

        (61 )   (61 )
 

Cash dividend to Parent

    (4,000 )       (4,000 )
 

Excess tax benefit from share-based compensation

        21     21  
               
   

Net cash used in financing activities

    (1,040 )   (40 )   (1,080 )
               

Net increase in cash and cash equivalents

    108     12     120  

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of the period

    683     4     687  
               

Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the period

  $ 791   $ 16   $ 807  
               

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DIRECTV HOLDINGS LLC

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Concluded)

(Unaudited)

Condensed Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows
For the Nine Months Ended September 30, 2010

 
 
Co-Issuers
 
Guarantor
Subsidiaries
 
DIRECTV
Holdings
Consolidated
 
 
  (Dollars in Millions)
 

Cash flows from operating activities

                   
 

Net cash provided by operating activities

  $ 1,642   $ 1,177   $ 2,819  
               

Cash flows from investing activities

                   
 

Cash paid for property and equipment

        (349 )   (349 )
 

Cash paid for subscriber leased equipment—subscriber acquisition

        (437 )   (437 )
 

Cash paid for subscriber leased equipment—upgrade and retention

        (232 )   (232 )
 

Cash paid for satellites

        (99 )   (99 )
 

Investment in companies, net of cash acquired

        (1 )   (1 )
 

Other

          3     3  
               
   

Net cash used in investing activities

        (1,115 )   (1,115 )
               

Cash flows from financing activities

                   
 

Cash proceeds from debt issuance

    5,978         5,978  
 

Debt issuance costs

    (44 )       (44 )
 

Repayment of long-term debt

    (2,323 )       (2,323 )
 

Repayment of other long-term obligations

        (73 )   (73 )
 

Cash dividend to Parent

    (5,500 )       (5,500 )
 

Excess tax benefit from share-based compensation

        8     8  
               
   

Net cash used in financing activities

    (1,889 )   (65 )   (1,954 )
               

Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents

    (247 )   (3 )   (250 )

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of the period

    1,709     7     1,716  
               

Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the period

  $ 1,462   $ 4   $ 1,466  
               

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ITEM 2.    MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

        The following management's discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with our management's discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010 filed with the SEC on February 28, 2011, our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2011 filed with the SEC on May 6, 2011 our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2011 filed with the SEC on August 5, 2011 and all of our other filings, including Current Reports on Form 8-K, filed with the SEC after such date and through the date of this report.

        This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q may contain certain statements that we believe are, or may be considered to be, "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of various provisions of the Securities Act of 1933 and of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of statements that include phrases such as we "believe", "expect", "anticipate", "intend", "plan", "foresee", "project" or other similar references to future periods. Examples of forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements we make regarding our outlook for 2011 financial results, liquidity and capital resources.

        Forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations and assumptions regarding our business, the economy and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. Our actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements. We caution you therefore against relying on any of these forward-looking statements. They are neither statements of historical fact nor guarantees or assurances of future performance. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include economic, business, competitive, national or global political, market and regulatory conditions and the following, each of which is described in more detail in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010 or in Part II, Item 1A of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q:

    Levels of competition are increasing.

    We depend on others to produce programming and programming costs are increasing.

    Increased subscriber churn or subscriber upgrade and retention costs could materially adversely affect our financial performance.

    Our subscriber acquisition costs could materially increase.

    Our ability to keep pace with technological developments is uncertain.

    Our business relies on intellectual property, some of which is owned by third parties, and we may inadvertently infringe patents and proprietary rights of others.

    Construction or launch delays on satellites could materially adversely affect our revenues and earnings.

    Our satellites are subject to significant launch and operational risks.

    The loss of a satellite, none of which is currently insured, could materially adversely affect our earnings.

    Satellite programming signals have been stolen and may be stolen in the future, which could result in lost revenues and would cause us to incur incremental operating costs that do not result in subscriber acquisition.

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    The ability to maintain FCC licenses and other regulatory approvals is critical to our business.

    Our Parent may have a significant indemnity obligation to Liberty Media, which is not limited in amount or subject to any cap, if parts of the Liberty Transaction or Liberty's 2008 Transaction with News Corporation are treated as a taxable transaction.

    We face risks arising from the outcome of various legal proceedings.

    We face risks related to our reliance on network information systems and other technology.

    Those and the other factors that are described in more detail in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010.

        Any forward looking statement made by us in the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q speaks only as of the date on which it is made. Factors or events that could cause our actual results to differ may occur and it is not possible for us to predict them all. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future development or otherwise, except as required by law.

CONTENTS

        The following is a discussion of our results of operations and financial condition. This discussion should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this Quarterly Report. Information in this section is organized as follows:

    Business Overview

    Significant Events Affecting the Comparability of the Results of Operations

    Results of Operations

    Liquidity and Capital Resources

    Contractual Obligations

    Contingencies

    Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions

    Critical Accounting Estimates

    Accounting Changes

    Key Terminology

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DIRECTV HOLDINGS LLC

BUSINESS OVERVIEW

        We are a wholly-owned subsidiary of DIRECTV and our subsidiaries include DIRECTV Enterprises, LLC and its wholly-owned subsidiaries and DIRECTV Financing Co., Inc. We acquire, promote, sell and distribute digital entertainment programming primarily via satellite to residential and commercial subscribers. We are the largest provider of direct-to-home, or DTH, digital television services and the second largest provider in the multi-channel video programming distribution, or MVPD, industry in the United States. As of September 30, 2011, we had approximately 19.8 million subscribers.

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS AFFECTING THE COMPARABILITY OF THE RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Change in Accounting Estimate

    Depreciable Lives of Leased Set-Top Receivers

        We currently lease most set-top receivers provided to new and existing subscribers and therefore capitalize the cost of those set-top receivers. We depreciate capitalized set-top receivers over the estimated useful life of the equipment. In our Form 10-K, we disclosed the possibility of a change in useful life for set-top receivers in the near term because we had begun to see indications that useful lives were increasing. As a result of the completion of an extensive evaluation of the estimated useful life of the set-top receivers, including consideration of historical write-offs, improved efficiencies in our refurbishment program, improved set-top receiver failure rates over time and management's judgment of the risk of technological obsolescence, we determined that the estimated useful life of high-definition, or HD, set-top receivers used in our business has increased to four years, from three years as previously estimated. We will continue to depreciate standard definition set-top receivers over a three year estimated useful life. We are accounting for this change in the useful life of the HD set-top receivers as a change in an accounting estimate beginning July 1, 2011. This change had the effect of reducing depreciation and amortization expense and increasing net income in our consolidated results of operations as follows:

 
 
Three Months
Ended
September 30,
 
Nine Months
Ended
September 30,
 
 
  (Dollars in Millions, Except Per Share Amounts)
 

Depreciation and amortization expense

  $ (76 ) $ (76 )

Net income

    47     47  

Financing Transactions

    2011 Financing Transactions

        In March 2011, we issued $4.0 billion of senior notes resulting in $3,990 million of proceeds, net of discount.

        In March 2011, we completed a fixed price tender offer to purchase $341 million of the outstanding 6.375% senior notes due in 2015. On June 15, 2011, we redeemed, pursuant to the terms of our indenture, the remaining $659 million of our outstanding 6.375% senior notes due 2015, at a price of 102.125%, plus accrued and unpaid interest. We recorded a pre-tax charge of $25 million, $16 million after tax during the nine months ended September 30, 2011, as a result of the redemptions, primarily for the premiums paid. The pre-tax charge was recorded in "Other, net" in our Consolidated Statements of Operations.

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    2010 Financing Transactions

        In August 2010, we issued $3.0 billion of senior notes resulting in $2,982 million of net proceeds and repaid the $1,220 million of remaining principal on Term Loans A and B of our senior secured credit facility. The repayment of Term Loans A and B resulted in a third quarter of 2010 pre-tax charge of $7 million, $4 million after tax resulting from the write-off of deferred debt issuance and other transaction costs.

        In March 2010, we issued $3.0 billion of senior notes resulting in net proceeds of $2,996 million and repaid the $985 million of remaining principal on Term Loan C of our senior secured credit facility. The repayment of Term Loan C resulted in a first quarter of 2010 pre-tax charge of $9 million, $6 million after tax, resulting from the write-off of the unamortized discount, deferred debt issuance and other transaction costs.

        The charges were recorded in "Other, net" in our Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Divestiture

        In April 2011, we sold an equity method investment for $55 million in cash. We recognized a $37 million gain ($23 million after tax) on the sale in "Other, net" in the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

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RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

        The following table sets forth our unaudited consolidated statements of operations and certain other operating data:

Three Months Ended September 30, 2011 Compared to Three Months Ended September 30, 2010

 
 
Three Months Ended
September 30,
 
Change
 
 
 
2011
 
2010
 
$
 
%
 
 
  (Dollars in Millions)
 

Revenues

  $ 5,421   $ 5,031   $ 390     7.8 %

Operating costs and expenses

                         
 

Costs of revenues, exclusive of depreciation and amortization expense

                         
   

Broadcast programming and other

    2,411     2,125     286     13.5 %
   

Subscriber service expenses

    375     351     24     6.8 %
   

Broadcast operations expenses

    75     68     7     10.3 %
 

Selling, general and administrative expenses, exclusive of depreciation and amortization expense

                         
   

Subscriber acquisition costs

    793     724     69     9.5 %
   

Upgrade and retention costs

    332     306     26     8.5 %
   

General and administrative expenses

    282     265     17     6.4 %
 

Depreciation and amortization expense

    353     472     (119 )   (25.2 )%
                     
   

Total operating costs and expenses

    4,621     4,311     310     7.2 %
                     

Operating profit

    800     720     80     11.1 %

Interest expense

    (177 )   (131 )   (46 )   35.1 %

Other, net

    6     (9 )   15     (166.7 )%
                     

Income before income taxes

    629     580     49     8.4 %

Income tax expense

    (237 )   (228 )   (9 )   3.9 %
                     

Net income

  $ 392   $ 352   $ 40     11.4 %
                     

Other Data:

                         

Operating profit margin

    14.8 %   14.3 %        

Operating profit before depreciation and amortization(1)

                         

Operating profit

  $ 800   $ 720   $ 80     11.1 %

Add: Depreciation and amortization expense

    353     472     (119 )   (25.2 )%
                     

Operating profit before depreciation and amortization

  $ 1,153   $ 1,192   $ (39 )   (3.3 )%
                     

Operating profit before depreciation and amortization—margin(1)

    21.3 %   23.7 %        

Cash Flow Information

                         

Net cash provided by operating activities

  $ 774   $ 878   $ (104 )   (11.8 )%

Net cash used in investing activities

    (506 )   (425 )   (81 )   19.1 %

Net cash used in financing activities

    (757 )   209     (966 )   462.2 %

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Three Months Ended
September 30,
 
Change
 
 
 
2011
 
2010
 
$
 
%
 
 
  (Dollars in Millions,
Except Per Subscriber Amounts)

 

Free cash flow(2)

                         

Net cash provided by operating activities

  $ 774   $ 878   $ (104 )   (11.8 )%

Less: Cash paid for property and equipment

    (159 )   (127 )   (32 )   25.2 %
 

Cash paid for subscriber leased equipment—subscriber acquisitions

    (222 )   (191 )   (31 )   16.2 %
 

Cash paid for subscriber leased equipment—upgrade and retention

    (91 )   (80 )   (11 )   13.8 %
 

Cash paid for satellites

    (35 )   (30 )   (5 )   16.7 %
                     

Free cash flow

  $ 267   $ 450   $ (183 )   (40.7 )%
                     

Subscriber data

                         

Total number of subscribers (000's)

    19,760     18,934     826     4.4 %

ARPU

  $ 92.21   $ 88.98   $ 3.23     3.6 %

Average monthly subscriber churn %

    1.62 %   1.70 %       (4.7 )%

Gross subscriber additions (000's)

    1,280     1,137     143     12.6 %

Subscriber disconnections (000's)

    953     963     (10 )   (1.0 )%

Net subscriber additions (000's)

    327     174     153     87.9 %

Average subscriber acquisition costs—per subscriber (SAC)

  $ 793   $ 805   $ (12 )   (1.5 )%

(1)
Operating profit before depreciation and amortization, which is a financial measure that is not determined in accordance with GAAP can be calculated by adding amounts under the caption "Depreciation and amortization expense" to "Operating profit." This measure should be used in conjunction with GAAP financial measures and is not presented as an alternative measure of operating results, as determined in accordance with GAAP. Our management and DIRECTV use operating profit before depreciation and amortization to evaluate the operating performance of our company and our business segments and to allocate resources and capital to business segments. This metric is also used as a measure of performance for incentive compensation purposes and to measure income generated from operations that could be used to fund capital expenditures, service debt or pay taxes. Depreciation and amortization expense primarily represents an allocation to current expense of the cost of historical capital expenditures and for acquired intangible assets resulting from prior business acquisitions. To compensate for the exclusion of depreciation and amortization expense from operating profit, our management and DIRECTV separately measure and budget for capital expenditures and business acquisitions.

We believe this measure is useful to investors, along with GAAP measures (such as revenues, operating profit and net income), to compare our operating performance to other communications, entertainment and media service providers. We believe that investors use current and projected operating profit before depreciation and amortization and similar measures to estimate our current or prospective enterprise value and make investment decisions. This metric provides investors with a means to compare operating results exclusive of depreciation and amortization expense. Our management believes this is useful given the significant variation in depreciation and amortization expense that can result from the timing of capital expenditures, the capitalization of intangible assets, potential variations in expected useful lives when compared to other companies and periodic changes to estimated useful lives.

Operating profit before depreciation and amortization margin is calculated by dividing operating profit before depreciation and amortization by revenues.

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(2)
Free cash flow, which is a financial measure that is not determined in accordance with GAAP, can be calculated by deducting amounts under the captions "Cash paid for property and equipment," "Cash paid for subscriber leased equipment-subscriber acquisitions," "Cash paid for subscriber leased equipment-upgrade and retention," and "Cash paid for satellites" from "Net cash provided by operating activities" from the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. This financial measure should be used in conjunction with other GAAP financial measures and is not presented as an alternative measure of cash flows from operating activities, as determined in accordance with GAAP. Our management and DIRECTV use free cash flow to evaluate the cash generated by our current subscriber base, net of capital expenditures, for the purpose of allocating resources to activities such as adding new subscribers, retaining and upgrading existing subscribers, for additional capital expenditures and other capital investments or transactions and as a measure of performance for incentive compensation purposes. We believe this measure is useful to investors, along with other GAAP measures (such as cash flows from operating and investing activities), to compare our operating performance to other communications, entertainment and media companies. We believe that investors also use current and projected free cash flow to determine the ability of revenues from our current and projected subscriber base to fund required and discretionary spending and to help determine our financial value.

        Subscribers.    In the third quarter of 2011, net subscriber additions increased due to higher gross additions resulting from our improved customer offers and a lower churn rate resulting primarily from higher retention offers to existing subscribers.

        Revenues.    Our revenues increased as a result of the larger subscriber base and higher ARPU. The increase in ARPU resulted primarily from price increases on programming packages and lease fees, as well as higher advanced service fees, partially offset by higher promotional offers to new and existing subscribers.

        Operating profit before depreciation and amortization.    Operating profit before depreciation and amortization and the related margin decreased in the third quarter of 2011 as compared to the third quarter of 2010 as higher revenues were more than offset by higher programming, subscriber acquisition and upgrade and retention costs.

        Broadcast programming and other costs increased primarily due to annual program supplier rate increases, higher costs resulting from our new NFL Sunday Ticket contract, which went into effect with the 2011 season and the larger number of subscribers. Subscriber service expenses increased in the third quarter of 2011 compared to the third quarter of 2010 primarily due to the higher number of subscribers.

        Subscriber acquisition costs increased primarily due to higher gross subscriber additions as well as higher dealer commissions. Subscriber acquisition costs per subscriber, or SAC, which includes the cost of capitalized set-top receivers, decreased primarily due to lower marketing costs per subscriber added, partially offset by increased dealer commissions. Under our lease program we capitalized $222 million of set-top receivers in the third quarter of 2011 and $191 million in the third quarter of 2010 for subscriber acquisitions.

        Upgrade and retention costs increased in the third quarter of 2011 due to a higher volume of advanced equipment upgrades and a more competitive environment. Under our lease program we capitalized $91 million of set-top receivers in the third quarter of 2011 and $80 million in the third quarter of 2010 for subscriber upgrades.

        Operating profit.    Operating profit and operating profit margin increased in the third quarter of 2011 compared to the third quarter of 2010. The increase in operating profit margin was primarily due

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to lower depreciation and amortization expense in the third quarter of 2011 resulting from the change in HD set-top receiver estimated depreciable life from three to four years, the completion of the amortization of a subscriber related intangible asset and lower depreciation expense associated with a reduction in capitalized set-top receivers over the last several years, partially offset by lower operating profit before depreciation and amortization.

        Interest expense.    The increase in interest expense was from an increase in the average debt balance compared to 2010.

        Income tax expense.    The increase in income tax expense was primarily due to the higher income before income taxes.

Nine Months Ended September 30, 2011 Compared with the Nine Months Ended September 30, 2010

 
 
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
 
Change
 
 
 
2011
 
2010
 
$
 
%
 
 
  (Dollars in Millions)
 

Revenues

  $ 15,843   $ 14,737   $ 1,106     7.5 %

Operating costs and expenses

                         
 

Costs of revenues, exclusive of depreciation and amortization expense

                         
   

Broadcast programming and other

    6,818     6,158     660     10.7 %
   

Subscriber service expenses

    1,081     999     82     8.2 %
   

Broadcast operations expenses

    224     203     21     10.3 %
 

Selling, general and administrative expenses, exclusive of depreciation and amortization expense

                         
   

Subscriber acquisition costs

    2,101     1,929     172     8.9 %
   

Upgrade and retention costs

    889     815     74     9.1 %
   

General and administrative expenses

    768     741     27     3.6 %
 

Depreciation and amortization expense

    1,225     1,465     (240 )   (16.4 )%
                     
   

Total operating costs and expenses

    13,106     12,310     796     6.5 %
                     

Operating profit

    2,737     2,427     310     12.8 %

Interest income

    1     4     (3 )   (75.0 )%

Interest expense

    (519 )   (344 )   (175 )   50.9 %

Other, net

    29     (9 )   38     422.2 %
                     

Income before income taxes

    2,248     2,078     170     8.2 %

Income tax expense

    (848 )   (811 )   (37 )   4.6 %
                     

Net income

  $ 1,400   $ 1,267   $ 133     10.5 %
                     

Other Data:

                         

Operating profit margin

    17.3 %   16.5 %        

Operating profit before depreciation and amortization(1)

                         

Operating profit

  $ 2,737   $ 2,427   $ 310     12.8 %

Add: Depreciation and amortization expense

    1,225     1,465     (240 )   (16.4 )%
                     

Operating profit before depreciation and amortization

  $ 3,962   $ 3,892   $ 70     1.8 %
                     

Operating profit before depreciation and amortization—margin(1)

    25.0 %   26.4 %        

Cash Flow Information

                         

Net cash provided by operating activities

  $ 2,424   $ 2,819   $ (395 )   (14.0 )%

Net cash used in investing activities

    (1,224 )   (1,115 )   (109 )   9.8 %

Net cash used in financing activities

    (1,080 )   (1,954 )   874     (44.7 )%

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Nine Months Ended
September 30,
 
Change
 
 
 
2011
 
2010
 
$
 
%
 
 
  (Dollars in Millions,
Except Per Subscriber Amounts)

 

Free cash flow(2)

                         

Net cash provided by operating activities

  $ 2,424   $ 2,819   $ (395 )   (14.0 )%

Less: Cash paid for property and equipment

    (404 )   (349 )   (55 )   15.8 %
 

Cash paid for subscriber leased equipment—subscriber acquisitions

    (546 )   (437 )   (109 )   24.9 %
 

Cash paid for subscriber leased equipment—upgrade and retention

    (236 )   (232 )   (4 )   1.7 %
 

Cash paid for satellites

    (83 )   (99 )   16     (16.2 )%
                     

Free cash flow

  $ 1,155   $ 1,702   $ 547     32.1 %
                     

Subscriber data

                         

Total number of subscribers (000's)

    19,760     18,934     826     4.4 %

ARPU

  $ 90.48   $ 87.43   $ 3.05     3.5 %

Average monthly subscriber churn %

    1.57 %   1.56 %       0.6 %

Gross subscriber additions (000's)

    3,286     3,008     278     9.2 %

Subscriber disconnections (000's)

    2,749     2,634     115     4.4 %

Net subscriber additions (000's)

    537     374     163     43.6 %

Average subscriber acquisition costs—per subscriber (SAC)

  $ 806   $ 787   $ 19     2.4 %

        Subscribers.    In 2011, net subscriber additions increased due to higher gross additions mainly resulting from improved customer offers. Churn was relatively unchanged from 2010.

        Revenues.    Our revenues increased as a result of the larger subscriber base and higher ARPU. The increase in ARPU resulted primarily from price increases on programming packages, higher set-top receiver lease fees and higher advanced service fees, partially offset by higher promotional offers to new and existing subscribers.

        Operating profit before depreciation and amortization.    Operating profit before depreciation and amortization was higher in 2011 as compared to 2010 as increased revenues were partially offset by higher programming costs, increased subscriber acquisition costs and higher upgrade and retention costs. Operating profit before depreciation and amortization margin decreased in 2011 as compared to 2010 as the revenue growth was more than offset by higher relative growth in broadcast programming, subscriber acquisition and upgrade and retention costs.

        Broadcast programming and other costs increased primarily due to annual program supplier rate increases, higher costs resulting from our new NFL Sunday Ticket™ contract, which went into effect with the 2011 season and the larger number of subscribers . Subscriber service expenses increased in 2011 compared to 2010 primarily due to service quality improvement initiatives and the higher number of subscribers.

        Subscriber acquisition costs increased primarily due to higher gross additions and higher SAC per subscriber. SAC per subscriber, which includes the cost of capitalized set-top receivers, increased primarily due to increased subscriber demand for advanced products over 2010 coupled with increased dealer commissions, partially offset by lower marketing costs per subscriber added. Under our lease program we capitalized $546 million of set-top receivers in 2011 and $437 million of set-top receivers in 2010 for subscriber acquisitions.

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        Upgrade and retention costs increased in 2011 due to a higher volume of advanced equipment upgrades. Under our lease program we capitalized $236 million of set-top receivers in 2011 and $232 million in 2010 for subscriber upgrades.

        Operating profit.    Operating profit and operating profit margin increased in 2011 as compared to 2010 due to lower depreciation and amortization expense in 2011 resulting from the change in HD set-top receiver estimated depreciable life from three to four years, the completion of the amortization of a subscriber related intangible asset and lower depreciation expense associated with a reduction in capital set-top receivers over the last several years, partially offset by lower operating profit before depreciation and amortization margin.

        Interest expense.    The increase in interest expense was from an increase in the average debt balance compared to 2010.

        Income tax expense.    The increase in income tax expense was primarily due to the higher income before income taxes.

LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES

        At September 30, 2011, our cash and cash equivalents totaled $807 million compared with $687 million at December 31, 2010. The $120 million increase resulted primarily from $3,990 million of cash proceeds from the issuance of senior notes and $2,424 million in cash provided by operating activities, partially offset by $4,000 million in dividends paid to our Parent, $1,000 million of cash used to repay long-term debt and $1,269 million of cash paid for property, equipment and satellites.

        As of September 30, 2011 we had the ability to borrow up to $2 billion under our revolving credit facility, which is available until February 2016. We are subject to restrictive certain covenants under the credit facility.

        As a measure of liquidity, the current ratio (ratio of current assets to current liabilities) was 1.04 at September 30, 2011 and 0.85 at December 31, 2010. The increase in our current ratio during the nine months ended September 30, 2011 was primarily due to an increase in our cash and cash equivalents and prepaid expenses and other, and lower accounts payable and accrued liabilities.

        We have received capital contributions and have borrowed amounts from our Parent in the past to fund certain transactions. We may also provide dividends to our Parent or fund other cash requirements, including additional share repurchase programs or other distributions to its stockholders. We may use available cash and cash equivalents, cash from operations, or incur additional borrowings to fund such dividends. In October 2011, we paid a $400 million dividend to our Parent.

        We expect to fund our cash requirements and our existing business plan using our available cash balances and cash provided by operations. In addition, our Parent presently expects to add its guarantee for existing and future debt offerings consistent with its objective of achieving a long-term debt target of 2.5 times annual operating profit before depreciation and amortization of DIRECTV on a consolidated basis. Additional borrowings, which may include borrowings under our $2 billion revolving credit facility, may be required to achieve this target and fund strategic investment opportunities should they arise.

        Several factors may affect our ability to fund our operations and commitments that we discuss in "Contractual Obligations" and "Contingencies" below. In addition, our future cash flows may be reduced if we experience, among other things, significantly higher subscriber additions than planned, increased subscriber churn or upgrade and retention costs, higher than planned capital expenditures for satellites and broadcast equipment, satellite anomalies or signal theft. Additionally, our ability to

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borrow under the revolving credit facility is contingent upon us meeting financial and other covenants associated with its facility as more fully described below.

Borrowings

        At September 30, 2011, we had $13,463 million in total outstanding borrowings, bearing a weighted average interest rate of 5.2%. Our outstanding borrowings consist of our senior notes as more fully described in Note 4 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 1, Part I of this Quarterly Report and in Note 7 to the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8, Part II of our 2010 Form 10-K.

        Our senior notes mature as follows: $1,000 million in 2014, $1,200 million in 2015 and $11,300 million thereafter.

Revolving Credit Facility

        In February 2011, our senior secured credit facility was terminated and replaced by a new five-year, $2.0 billion revolving credit facility. We pay a commitment fee of .30% per year for the unused commitment under the revolving credit facility, and borrowings will bear interest at an annual rate of (i) the London interbank offer rate (LIBOR) (or for Euro advances the EURIBOR rate) plus 1.50% or at our option (ii) the higher of the prime rate plus 0.50% or the Fed Funds Rate plus 1.00%. The commitment fee and the annual interest rate may be increased or decreased under certain conditions, which include changes in our long-term, unsecured debt ratings. The revolving credit facility has been fully and unconditionally guaranteed, jointly and severally, by substantially all of our subsidiaries on a senior unsecured basis.

        Covenants and Restrictions.    The revolving credit facility requires us to maintain at the end of each fiscal quarter a specified ratio of indebtedness to adjusted net income. The revolving credit facility also includes covenants that restrict our ability to, among other things, (i) incur additional subsidiary indebtedness, (ii) incur liens, (iii) enter into certain transactions with affiliates, (iv) merge or consolidate with another entity, (v) sell, assign, lease or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of our assets, and (vi) change our lines of business. Additionally, the senior notes contain restrictive covenants that are similar. Should we fail to comply with these covenants, all or a portion of our borrowings under the senior notes could become immediately payable and our revolving credit facility could be terminated. At September 30, 2011, we were in compliance with all such covenants. The senior notes and revolving credit facility also provide that the borrowings may be required to be prepaid if certain change-in-control events occur.

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CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS

        The following table sets forth our contractual obligations as of September 30, 2011, including the future periods in which payments are expected. Additional details regarding these obligations are provided in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Part I, Item 1 referenced in the table below and the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Part II, Item 8 in our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010.

 
   
 
Payments due by period
 
2016
and thereafter
 
Contractual Obligations
 
Total
 
2011
 
2012-2013
 
2014-2015
 
 
  (Dollars in Millions)
 

Long-term debt obligations (Note 4)(a)

  $ 21,894   $ 113   $ 1,408   $ 3,540   $ 16,833  

Purchase obligations(b)

    6,285     510     3,808     1,927     40  

Operating lease obligations(c)

    319     16     97     52     154  

Other long-term liabilities reflected on the Consolidated Balance Sheets under GAAP(d)

    80     5     40     23     12  
                       

Total

  $ 28,578   $ 644   $ 5,353   $ 5,542   $ 17,039  
                       

(a)
Long-term debt obligations include interest calculated based on the rates in effect at September 30, 2011, however, the obligations do not reflect potential prepayments required under its indentures.

(b)
Purchase obligations consist primarily of broadcast programming commitments, service contract commitments and satellite contracts. Broadcast programming commitments include guaranteed minimum contractual commitments that are typically based on a flat fee or a minimum number of required subscribers subscribing to the related programming. Actual payments may exceed the minimum payment requirements if the actual number of subscribers subscribing to the related programming exceeds the minimum amounts. Service contract commitments include minimum commitments for the purchase of services that have been outsourced to third parties, such as billing services, telemetry, tracking and control services and broadcast center services. In most cases, actual payments, which are typically based on volume, usually exceed these minimum amounts.

(c)
Certain of our operating leases contain escalation clauses and renewal or purchase options, which we do not consider in the amounts disclosed.

(d)
Payments due by period for other long-term liabilities reflected on the Consolidated Balance Sheet under GAAP do not include payments that could be made related to our net unrecognized tax benefits liability, which amounted to $57 million as of September 30, 2011. The timing and amount of any future payments is not reasonably estimable, as such payments are dependent on the completion and resolution of examinations with tax authorities. We do not expect a significant payment related to these obligations within the next twelve months.

CONTINGENCIES

        For a discussion of "Contingencies," see Part I, Item 1, Note 5 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements of this Quarterly Report, which we incorporate herein by reference.

CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

        For a discussion of "Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions," see Part I, Item 1, Note 6 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements of this Quarterly Report, which we incorporate herein by reference.

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CRITICAL ACCOUNTING ESTIMATES

        For a discussion of changes to our "Critical Accounting Estimates," see Part I, Item 1, Note 3 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements of this Quarterly Report, which we incorporate herein by reference. For additional information, see Item 7. Critical Accounting Estimates in Part II of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010.

ACCOUNTING CHANGES

        For a discussion of "Accounting Changes" see Part I, Item 1, Note 3 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements of this Quarterly Report, which we incorporate herein by reference.

KEY TERMINOLOGY

        The following key terminology is used in management's discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations:

        Revenues.    We earn revenues mostly from monthly fees we charge subscribers for subscriptions to basic and premium channel programming, HD programming and access fees, pay-per-view programming, and seasonal and live sporting events. We also earn revenues from monthly fees that we charge subscribers with multiple non-leased set-top receivers (which we refer to as mirroring fees), monthly fees we charge subscribers for leased set-top receivers, monthly fees we charge subscribers for DVR service, hardware revenues from subscribers who lease or purchase set-top receivers from us, warranty service fees and advertising services. Revenues are reported net of customer credits and discounted promotions.

        Broadcast Programming and Other.    These costs primarily include license fees for subscription service programming, pay-per-view programming, live sports and other events. Other costs include continuing service fees paid to third parties for active subscribers and warranty service costs.

        Subscriber Service Expenses.    Subscriber service expenses include the costs of customer call centers, billing, remittance processing and certain home services expenses, such as in-home repair costs.

        Broadcast Operations Expenses.    These expenses include broadcast center operating costs, signal transmission expenses (including costs of collecting signals for our local channel offerings), and costs of monitoring, maintaining and insuring our satellites. Also included are engineering expenses associated with deterring theft of our signal.

        Subscriber Acquisition Costs.    These costs include the cost of set-top receivers and other equipment, commissions we pay to national retailers, independent satellite television retailers, dealers and telcos, and the cost of installation, advertising, marketing and customer call center expenses associated with the acquisition of new subscribers. Set-top receivers leased to new subscribers are capitalized in "Property and equipment, net" in the Consolidated Balance Sheets and depreciated over their useful lives. The amount of set-top receivers capitalized each period for subscriber acquisitions is included in "Cash paid for subscriber leased equipment-subscriber acquisitions" in the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows.

        Upgrade and Retention Costs.    Upgrade and retention costs are associated with upgrade efforts for existing subscribers that we believe will result in higher ARPU and lower churn. Our upgrade efforts include subscriber equipment upgrade programs for DVR, HD and HD DVR receivers and local channels, our multiple set-top receiver offer and similar initiatives. Retention costs also include the costs of installing and providing hardware under our movers program for subscribers relocating to a new residence. Set-top receivers leased to existing subscribers under upgrade and retention programs are capitalized in "Property and equipment, net" in the Consolidated Balance Sheets and depreciated

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over their useful lives. The amount of set-top receivers capitalized each period for upgrade and retention programs is included in "Cash paid for subscriber leased equipment-upgrade and retention" in the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows.

        General and Administrative Expenses.    General and administrative expenses include departmental costs for legal, administrative services, finance, marketing and information technology. These costs also include expenses for bad debt and other operating expenses, such as legal settlements, and gains or losses from the sale or disposal of fixed assets.

        Average Monthly Revenue Per Subscriber.    We calculate ARPU by dividing average monthly revenues for the period (total revenues during the period divided by the number of months in the period) by average subscribers for the period. We calculate average subscribers for the period by adding the number of subscribers as of the beginning of the period and for each quarter end in the current year or period and dividing by the sum of the number of quarters in the period plus one.

        Average Monthly Subscriber Churn.    Average monthly subscriber churn represents the number of subscribers, whose service is disconnected, expressed as a percentage of the average total number of subscribers. We calculate average monthly subscriber churn by dividing the average monthly number of disconnected subscribers for the period (total subscribers disconnected, net of reconnects, during the period divided by the number of months in the period) by average subscribers for the period.

        Subscriber Count.    The total number of subscribers represents the total number of subscribers actively subscribing to our service, including subscribers who have suspended their account for a particular season of the year because they are temporarily away from their primary residence and subscribers who are in the process of relocating and commercial equivalent viewing units.

        SAC.    We calculate SAC, which represents total subscriber acquisition costs stated on a per subscriber basis, by dividing total subscriber acquisition costs for the period by the number of gross new subscribers acquired during the period. We calculate total subscriber acquisition costs for the period by adding together "Subscriber acquisition costs" expensed during the period and the amount of cash paid for equipment leased to new subscribers during the period.

*    *    *

ITEM 4.    CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES

        We carried out an evaluation as of the end of the period covered by this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q under the supervision and with the participation of management, including our principal executive officer and our principal financial officer, of the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act). Based on the evaluation, our principal executive officer and our principal financial officer concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of September 30, 2011.

        There has been no change in our internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act) that occurred during our fiscal quarter ended September 30, 2011, that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

*    *    *

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PART II—OTHER INFORMATION

ITEM 1.    LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

(a)
Material pending legal proceedings, other than ordinary routine litigation incidental to the business, to which we became or were a party during the quarter ended September 30, 2011 or subsequent thereto, but before the filing of the report, are summarized below:

        Intellectual Property Litigation.    We are a defendant in several unrelated lawsuits claiming infringement of various patents relating to various aspects of our businesses. In certain of these cases other industry participants are also defendants, and also in certain of these cases we expect that any potential liability would be the responsibility of our equipment vendors pursuant to applicable contractual indemnification provisions. To the extent that the allegations in these lawsuits can be analyzed by us at this stage of their proceedings, we believe the claims are without merit and intend to defend the actions vigorously. We have determined that the likelihood of a material liability in such matters is remote or have made appropriate accruals and the final disposition of these claims is not expected to have a material effect on our consolidated financial position. However, if an adverse ruling is made in a lawsuit involving key intellectual property, such ruling could result in a loss that would be material to our consolidated results of operations of any one period. No assurance can be given that any adverse outcome would not be material to our consolidated financial position.

        Other.    We are subject to other legal proceedings and claims that arise in the ordinary course of our business. The amount of ultimate liability with respect to such actions is not expected to materially affect our financial position, results of operations or liquidity.

(b)
No previously reported legal proceedings were terminated during the third quarter ended September 30, 2011.

ITEM 1A.    RISK FACTORS

        Except as discussed below, the risk factors included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010, our Quarterly Report for the quarter ended March 31, 2011 and our Quarterly Report for the quarter ended June 30, 2011 have not materially changed. See Part I Item 2 of this Quarterly Report related to "forward-looking statements" which we incorporate by reference.

The National Football League labor dispute has been resolved.

        We have a contract with the National Football League for the exclusive rights to distribute the NFL Sunday Ticket Package to our subscribers. The NFL's collective bargaining agreement with its players expired in March 2011 and the NFL and its players have been engaged in a labor dispute. The NFL and its players agreed to a new collective bargaining agreement. Therefore, our risks related to the labor dispute have been resolved and the NFL Sunday Ticket Package is being distributed to our subscribers for the 2011-2012 season pursuant to our contract with the NFL.

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ITEM 6.    EXHIBITS

Exhibit
Number
  Exhibit Name
  **31.1   Certification of the Chief Executive Officer of DIRECTV Holdings LLC pursuant to Section 302.

 

**31.2

 

Certification of the Chief Financial Officer of DIRECTV Holdings LLC pursuant to Section 302.

 

**31.3

 

Certification of the Chief Executive Officer of DIRECTV Financing Co., Inc. pursuant to Section 302.

 

**31.4

 

Certification of the Chief Financial Officer of DIRECTV Financing Co., Inc. pursuant to Section 302.

 

**32.1

 

Certification of the Chief Executive Officer of DIRECTV Holdings LLC pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, As Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes Oxley Act of 2002 ("Section 906").

 

**32.2

 

Certification of the Chief Financial Officer of DIRECTV Holdings LLC pursuant to Section 906.

 

**32.3

 

Certification of the Chief Executive Officer of DIRECTV Financing Co., Inc. pursuant to Section 906.

 

**32.4

 

Certification of the Chief Financial Officer of DIRECTV Financing Co., Inc. pursuant to Section 906.

 

***101.INS

 

XBRL Instance Document

 

***101.SCH

 

XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document

 

***101.CAL

 

XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document

 

***101.DEF

 

XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document

 

***101.LAB

 

XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document

 

***101.PRE

 

XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document

**
Furnished, not filed.

***
Pursuant to Rule 406T of Regulation S-T, these interactive data files are deemed not filed or part of a registration statement or prospectus for purposes of Sections 11 or 12 of the Securities Act of 1933 or Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and otherwise are not subject to liability.

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SIGNATURES

        Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, each registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

    DIRECTV HOLDINGS LLC
(Registrant)

Date: November 3, 2011

 

By:

 

/s/ PATRICK T. DOYLE

Patrick T. Doyle
(Duly Authorized Officer and
Executive Vice President
and Chief Financial Officer)

 

 

DIRECTV FINANCING CO., INC.
(Registrant)

Date: November 3, 2011

 

By:

 

/s/ PATRICK T. DOYLE

Patrick T. Doyle
(Duly Authorized Officer and
Executive Vice President
and Chief Financial Officer)

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