EchoStar Offers Financials Info and Suite Settlement

The DISH ViP622 digital video recorder (photo: Dish Network)

ENGLEWOOD, COLORADO: August 13, 2007—Satnews Daily—EchoStar Communications Corporation is reporting total revenues of $2.67 billion for the quarter ended June 30, 2007. Compared to the $2.47 billion for the same period in 2006, that’s an 11.9 percent increase. Net income totaled $224 million for the quarter as compared to $169 million during the same period of time last year. Basic earnings per share were $0.50 for the quarter ended June 30, 2007. The same quarter for last year produced earnings per share of $0.38. The company’s DISH Network service added approximately 170,000 net new subscribers during Q2 and ended the quarter with about 13.585 million subscribers—they are now the nation’s third largest pay-TV provider.



Additionally, EchoStar Communications has been involved in a lawsuit with Forgent Networks. On Friday, a judge in Texas denied Forgent’s motion for a new trial. He awarded EchoStar $90,000 in court costs which reaffirms a jury verdict handed down in May which found invalid a patent Forgent accused EchoStar of violating. Before the trial even started, DirecTV and the cable companies had settled with Forgent for $28 million.



Sometime next week, you can also expect the company to offer information on a range of new USB-based external hard drives. Such will give their customers the ability to store more hi-def content, as much as 35 hours worth. As preparations are made for the announcement, DISH is sending free software upgrades to the VIP 622 HD DVR units in customer homes. These drives are not part of any current subscription plan and have to purchased separately for under $200.