NOTES PAYABLE, FINANCE LEASES, AND COMMERCIAL BANK FINANCING

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2025

Debt Disclosure [Abstract]

NOTES PAYABLE, FINANCE LEASES, AND COMMERCIAL BANK FINANCING

NOTES PAYABLE, FINANCE LEASES, AND COMMERCIAL BANK FINANCING:

Credit Agreement and Notes

During the first quarter of 2025, Sinclair Television Group, Inc. (“STG”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sinclair Broadcast Group, LLC (“SBG”), completed a series of financing transactions (the “Transactions”) as follows:

Exchanged $711.4 million aggregate principal amount outstanding of the $714 million Term Loan B-3, which mature April 1, 2028 and bear interest at SOFR plus 3.00%, into second-out first lien Term Loan B-6 issued under a new credit agreement dated February 12, 2025 (the “New Credit Agreement”), which mature December 31, 2029 and bear interest at SOFR plus 3.30%. Exchanged all of the $731.3 million aggregate principal amount outstanding of Term Loan B-4, which matured on April 21, 2029 and bore interest at SOFR plus 3.75%, into second-out first lien Term Loan B-7 issued under the New Credit Agreement, which mature December 31, 2030 and bear interest at SOFR plus 4.10%.

Exchanged $575 million of commitments under the existing revolving credit facility into $575 million first-out first lien revolving commitments (the “First-Out Revolving Credit Facility”) under the New Credit Agreement, which mature February 12, 2030 and borrowings thereunder will bear interest at SOFR plus 2.00%.

The existing bank credit agreement was amended as of February 12, 2025 (the “Amended Credit Agreement”) concurrent with the Transactions and entering into the New Credit Agreement, subordinating the secured obligations thereunder and eliminating substantially all covenants and certain events of default. As a result, the remaining $3 million of Term Loan B-3 and the remaining $75 million of commitments under the existing revolving credit facility are ranked as third lien obligations.

STG issued $1,430 million aggregate principal amount of 8.125% first-out first lien secured notes due 2033 (the “8.125% First-Out Notes”), which mature on February 15, 2033. The proceeds from the 8.125% First-Out Notes were used to repay in full the $1,175 million aggregate principal amounts outstanding of Term Loan B-2 due 2026, approximately $63.6 million aggregate principal amount of 4.125% Senior Secured Notes due 2030 at 84% of the principal amount, and approximately $104 million aggregate principal amount of 5.125% Senior Notes due 2027 at 97% of the principal amount and to pay fees and expenses related to the Transactions.

Exchanged $432 million aggregate principal amount of the existing 4.125% Senior Secured Notes due 2030 into 9.750% senior secured second lien notes due 2033 (the “9.750% Second Lien Notes”), which mature on February 15, 2033. Exchanged $238 million aggregate principal amount of the existing 4.125% Senior Secured Notes due 2030 into 4.375% second-out first lien secured notes due 2032 (the “4.375% Second-Out Notes”), which mature on December 31, 2032. The remaining 4.125% Senior Secured Notes due 2030 of $4 million became unsecured obligations as the related indenture was amended to release all liens on the collateral and eliminate substantially all covenants and certain events of default.

For the nine months ended September 30, 2025, we recognized a gain on extinguishment of the 4.125% Senior Secured Notes due 2030 and 5.125% Senior Notes due 2027 of $5 million and $3 million, respectively, and a loss on extinguishment of the Term Loan B-2 of $6 million.

The New Credit Agreement and the indentures for the 8.125% First-Out Notes, 4.375% Second-Out Notes, and 9.750% Second Lien Notes (collectively, the “New Indentures”) contain certain restrictive covenants including, but not limited to, restrictions on indebtedness, liens, restricted payments (including repayment of certain subordinated debt), investments, mergers, consolidations, sales and other dispositions of assets and affiliate transactions. These covenants are subject to a number of exceptions and limitations as described in the New Credit Agreement and New Indentures. The New Credit Agreement and New Indentures also include events of default, including certain cross-default and cross-acceleration provisions with other debt of STG, customary for agreements of its type.

Prior to February 15, 2028, December 1, 2025, and February 15, 2027, we may redeem the 8.125% First-Out Notes, 4.375% Second-Out Notes, and 9.750% Second Lien Notes, respectively, in whole or in part, at any time or from time to time at a price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the respective notes, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the redemption date, plus a “make-whole” premium as set forth in the New Indentures. On or prior to February 15, 2028 and February 15, 2027, we may redeem up to 40% of the aggregate principal amount of the 8.125% First-Out Notes and 9.750% Second Lien Notes, respectively, at a price equal to 108.125% and 109.750% of the principal amount of the 8.125% First-Out Notes and 9.750% Second Lien Notes, respectively, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to, but not including, the date of redemption using the proceeds of certain equity offerings. Prior to February 15, 2028 and February 15, 2027, we may redeem the 8.125% First-Out Notes and 9.750% Second Lien Notes, respectively, in whole but not in part, at a redemption price equal to 108.125% and 109.750% of the principal amount of the 8.125% First-Out Notes and 9.750% Second Lien Notes, respectively, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to, but not including, the redemption date upon certain change of control transactions or certain significant acquisitions. Beginning on December 1, 2025, we may redeem some or all of the 4.375% Second-Out Notes at any time or from time to time at the redemption prices set forth in the New Indentures, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to, but not including, the redemption date. In addition, upon the sale of certain of STG’s assets or certain changes of control, we may be required to offer to repurchase some or all of the 8.125% First-Out Notes, 4.375% Second-Out Notes, and 9.750% Second Lien Notes.

The First-Out Revolving Credit Facility includes a financial maintenance covenant, the first-out first lien leverage ratio (as defined in the New Credit Agreement), which requires such ratio not to exceed 3.5x, measured as of the end of each fiscal quarter, which is only applicable if 35% or more of the capacity (as a percentage of total commitments) under the First-Out Revolving Credit Facility, measured as of the last day of each fiscal quarter, is utilized as of such date. Since there was no utilization under the First-Out Revolving Credit Facility as of September 30, 2025, STG was not subject to the financial maintenance covenant under the New Credit Agreement. As of September 30, 2025, the STG first-out first lien leverage ratio was below 3.5x. The New Credit Agreement contains other restrictions and covenants with which STG was in compliance as of September 30, 2025.

During the second quarter of 2025, we repurchased $81 million aggregate principal amount of the 5.125% Senior Notes due 2027 for consideration of $77 million. We recognized a gain on extinguishment of the 5.125% Senior Notes due 2027 of $4 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2025. In October 2025, we repurchased the remaining $89 million aggregate principal amount of the 5.125% Senior Notes due 2027 for consideration of $89 million. The 5.125% Senior Notes due 2027 acquired were canceled immediately following their acquisition.

During the nine months ended September 30, 2024, we repurchased $27 million aggregate principal amount of Term Loan B-2 for consideration of $25 million. The portions of Term Loan B-2 purchased were canceled immediately following their acquisition. We recognized a gain on extinguishment of the Term Loan B-2 of $1 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2024.

Finance Leases to Affiliates

The current portion of notes payable, finance leases, and commercial bank financing in our consolidated balance sheets includes finance leases to affiliates of $3 million as of both September 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024. Notes payable, finance leases, and commercial bank financing, less current portion, in our consolidated balance sheets includes finances leases to affiliates of $7 million and $9 million as of September 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024, respectively. See Note 8. Related Person Transactions.

Debt of Variable Interest Entities and Guarantees of Third-Party Obligations

STG jointly, severally, unconditionally, and irrevocably guaranteed $2 million of debt of certain third parties as of both September 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024, all of which related to consolidated VIEs and is included in our consolidated balance sheets as of both September 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024. We provide a guarantee of certain obligations of the Marquee Sports Network (“Marquee”) subject to a maximum aggregate amount of $455 million for the years 2025 through 2029. We accrued $15 million related to this obligation for the nine months ended September 30, 2025, included in gain on asset dispositions and other, net in our consolidated statements of operations. As of September 30, 2025, $8 million of this obligation is reflected in accounts payable and accrued liabilities in our consolidated balance sheets. See Note 4. Commitments and Contingencies for further discussion.

Interest Rate Swap

We entered into an interest rate swap effective February 7, 2023 and terminating on February 28, 2026 in order to manage a portion of our exposure to variable interest rates. The swap agreement has a notional amount of $600 million, bears a fixed interest rate of 3.9%, and we receive a floating rate of interest based on SOFR. See Hedge Accounting within Note 1. Nature of Operations and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies for further discussion. The fair value of the interest rate swap was a liability of $0.1 million as of September 30, 2025, which is recorded in other current liabilities in our consolidated balance sheets, and an asset of $1 million as of December 31, 2024, which is recorded in other assets in our consolidated balance sheets.

Accounts Receivable Securitization Facility

On November 6, 2025, STG and one of its subsidiaries entered into a three-year, up to $375 million revolving accounts receivable securitization facility (the “AR Facility”) with Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., as administrative agent (“Wells”) in order to enable STG to raise incremental, low-cost capital.