Echostar Reports Record Results For Fourth Quarter 2000

DISH Networkô Captures 55 Percent of Net New Direct Broadcast Satellite TV Customers in 2000

15-Mar-01

EchoStar Communications Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH, DISHP) announced that it continued to experience record-setting customer growth for its DISH Networkô direct broadcast satellite (DBS) television service during the fourth quarter of 2000, adding approximately 495,000 net new subscribers.This is an increase of approximately 13 percent compared to the 438,000 net new subscribers added in the fourth quarter of 1999.DISH Network, the fastest growing satellite television provider in the United States, ended the year with approximately 5.26 million subscribers. DISH Network added approximately 1.85 million net new subscribers for the year ended December 31, 2000, an increase of approximately 26 percent compared to the approximate 1.47 million net new subscriber additions during 1999. As a result, DISH Network, which has been ranked number one in customer satisfaction among satellite/cable TV subscribers by J.D. Power and Associates studies for both 1999 and 2000, captured 55 percent of all net new DBS television subscribers during 2000. In addition, in only its fourth full year of broadcasting, DISH Network added more net new subscribers in 2000 than any other satellite or cable provider in history.EchoStar reported total revenue of $805 million for the three months ended December 31, 2000, a 56 percent increase in total revenue as compared to the fourth quarter of 1999. EchoStar also reported pre-marketing cash flow of $303 million or $0.64 per share for the three months ended December 31, 2000, as compared to $164 million or $0.36 per share for the corresponding period in 1999. As a result of our record subscriber growth and corresponding up-front acquisition costs, earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) during the fourth quarter of 2000 totaled negative $42 million compared to negative EBITDA of $71 million during the same period in 1999. EchoStar reported an operating loss of $114 million and $161 million for the three months ended December 31, 2000, and December. 31, 1999, respectively. The company's net losses totaled $172 million and $220 million during those same periods.For the year ended December 31, 2000, EchoStar reported total revenue of $2.7 billion compared to $1.6 billion for the corresponding period in 1999. Pre-marketing cash flow totaled $971 million during the year ended December 31, 2000, compared to $554 million during the year ended December 31, 1999. With record customer growth, EchoStar experienced increased up-front acquisition costs, resulting in increased EBITDA and operating and net losses compared to the corresponding period in 1999. EBITDA for the year ended December 31, 2000, totaled negative $187 million, compared to EBITDA of negative $173 million for the corresponding period in 1999. EchoStar's operating loss for the year ended December 31, 2000, totaled $424 million compared to $347 million reported during the corresponding period in 1999. The company's net losses totaled $621 million and $793 million during those same periods.

For more information about EchoStar, visit www.echostar.com. DISH Network is located on the Internet at www.dishnetwork.com.

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