Long-Term Debt (Tables)

9 Months Ended

12 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2014

Dec. 31, 2013

Long-Term Debt

Schedule of interest on long-term debt

		Annual
	Semi-Annual	Debt Service
	Payment Dates	Requirements
		(In thousands)
6 5/8% Senior Notes due 2014	April 1 and October 1	$	66,250
7 3/4% Senior Notes due 2015	May 31 and November 30	$	58,125
7 1/8% Senior Notes due 2016	February 1 and August 1	$	106,875
4 5/8% Senior Notes due 2017	January 15 and July 15	$	41,625
4 1/4% Senior Notes due 2018	April 1 and October 1	$	51,000
7 7/8% Senior Notes due 2019	March 1 and September 1	$	110,250
5 1/8% Senior Notes due 2020	May 1 and November 1	$	56,375
6 3/4% Senior Notes due 2021	June 1 and December 1	$	135,000
5 7/8% Senior Notes due 2022	January 15 and July 15	$	117,500
5% Senior Notes due 2023	March 15 and September 15	$	75,000

Schedule of carrying and fair values of the entity's debt facilities

	As of
	September 30, 2014					December 31, 2013
	Carrying					Carrying
	Value			Fair Value		Value			Fair Value
	(In thousands)
6 5/8% Senior Notes due 2014 (1)	$	900,000		$	900,000	$	1,000,000		$	1,040,200
7 3/4% Senior Notes due 2015 (2)	650,001			673,564		750,000			813,750
7 1/8% Senior Notes due 2016	1,500,000			1,591,875		1,500,000			1,657,500
4 5/8% Senior Notes due 2017	900,000			918,099		900,000			946,962
4 1/4% Senior Notes due 2018	1,200,000			1,207,200		1,200,000			1,221,792
7 7/8% Senior Notes due 2019	1,400,000			1,589,000		1,400,000			1,603,000
5 1/8% Senior Notes due 2020	1,100,000			1,127,500		1,100,000			1,104,950
6 3/4% Senior Notes due 2021	2,000,000			2,146,260		2,000,000			2,122,500
5 7/8% Senior Notes due 2022	2,000,000			2,040,000		2,000,000			1,997,500
5 % Senior Notes due 2023	1,500,000			1,447,500		1,500,000			1,458,090
Mortgages and other notes payable (3)	14,892			14,892		59,313			59,313
Subtotal	13,164,893			$	13,655,890	13,409,313			$	14,025,557
Unamortized discounts, net	(16,142		)			(19,198		)
Capital lease obligations (4)	201,867			NA		219,902			NA
Total long-term debt and capital lease obligations (including current portion)	$	13,350,618				$	13,610,017

(1) During the nine months ended September 30, 2014, we repurchased $100 million of our 6 5/8% Senior Notes due 2014 in open market trades.  The remaining balance of $900 million was redeemed on October 1, 2014 and is included in “Current portion of long-term debt and capital lease obligations” on our Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as of September 30, 2014.

(2) During the nine months ended September 30, 2014, we repurchased $100 million of our 7 3/4% Senior Notes due 2015 in open market trades.  The remaining balance of $650 million matures on May 31, 2015 and is included in “Current portion of long-term debt and capital lease obligations” on our Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as of September 30, 2014.

(3) On February 20, 2014, we entered into the Satellite and Tracking Stock Transaction, which resulted in a decrease in “Mortgages and other notes payable” of $44 million related to the in-orbit incentive obligations associated with the Transferred Satellites.  See Note 4 and Note 10 for further discussion.

(4) Disclosure regarding fair value of capital leases is not required.

	As of December 31,
	2013				2012
	Carrying  Value		Fair Value		Carrying  Value		Fair Value
	(In thousands)
7 % Senior Notes due 2013 (1)	—		—		500,000		521,875
6 5/8% Senior Notes due 2014 (2)	1,000,000		1,040,200		1,000,000		1,078,500
7 3/4% Senior Notes due 2015	750,000		813,750		750,000		844,725
7 1/8% Senior Notes due 2016	1,500,000		1,657,500		1,500,000		1,683,750
4 5/8% Senior Notes due 2017	900,000		946,962		900,000		940,500
4 1/4% Senior Notes due 2018	1,200,000		1,221,792		—		—
7 7/8% Senior Notes due 2019	1,400,000		1,603,000		1,400,000		1,669,500
5 1/8% Senior Notes due 2020	1,100,000		1,104,950		—		—
6 3/4% Senior Notes due 2021	2,000,000		2,122,500		2,000,000		2,280,000
5 7/8% Senior Notes due 2022	2,000,000		1,997,500		2,000,000		2,150,000
5 % Senior Notes due 2023	1,500,000		1,458,090		1,500,000		1,548,750
Mortgages and other notes payable	59,313		59,313		65,427		65,427
Subtotal	13,409,313		$	14,025,557	11,615,427		$	12,783,027
Capital lease obligations (3)	219,902		NA		248,304		NA
Total long-term debt and capital
lease obligations (including current portion)	$	13,629,215			$	11,863,731

(1) During September 2013, we repurchased $49 million of our 7% Senior Notes due 2013 in open market transactions.  On October 1, 2013, we redeemed the remaining $451 million principal balance of our 7% Senior Notes due 2013.

(2) Our 6 5/8% Senior Notes with an aggregate principal balance of $1.0 billion mature on October 1, 2014 and have been reclassified to “Current portion of long-term debt and capital lease obligations” on our Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2013.

(3) Disclosure regarding fair value of capital leases is not required.

Schedule of other long term debt and capital lease obligations

	As of December 31,
	2013			2012
	(In thousands)
Satellites and other capital lease obligations	$	219,902		$	248,304
Notes payable related to satellite vendor financing and other debt payable in installments through 2025 with interest rates ranging from approximately 6% to 13%	59,313			65,427
Total	279,215			313,731
Less current portion	(32,607		)	(34,787		)
Other long-term debt and capital lease obligations, net of current portion	$	246,608		$	278,944

Future minimum lease payments under capital lease obligations

Future minimum lease payments under the capital lease obligations, together with the present value of the net minimum lease payments as of December 31, 2013 are as follows (in thousands):

For the Years Ended December 31,
2014	$	77,944
2015	76,007
2016	76,007
2017	76,007
2018	75,982
Thereafter	162,331
Total minimum lease payments	544,278
Less: Amount representing lease of the orbital location and estimated executory costs (primarily insurance and maintenance) including profit thereon, included in total minimum lease payments	(254,832		)
Net minimum lease payments	289,446
Less: Amount representing interest	(69,544		)
Present value of net minimum lease payments	219,902
Less: Current portion	(26,829		)
Long-term portion of capital lease obligations	$	193,073