Long-Term Debt (Tables)

9 Months Ended

12 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2014

Dec. 31, 2013

Long-Term Debt

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.