Dish files for bankruptcy, but not shutting down
The EchoStar-owned company says it can’t repay $2 billion in debt that’s due on July 1st.
Image: Alex Castro / The Verge
Dish, the company that operates Dish TV and Sling TV, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, as reported earlier by Reuters. The plan will allow the EchoStar-owned company to continue to wind down its wireless operations after “unforeseen delays” held back its sale of $23 billion worth of 5G spectrum to AT&T. Dish TV, Sling TV, and other brands involved will continue to operate during the process, and in a press release, the company says it plans to emerge from Chapter 11 by the end of the third quarter of 2026.
Boost Mobile and Gen Mobile aren’t included in the bankruptcy process and will continue to operate as normal.
Due to the delayed 5G spectrum sale, Dish says that it didn’t have “sufficient liquidity” to repay $2 billion in debt due on July 1st. Dish gave up on becoming the US’s fourth major carrier last year, saying it would sell off chunks of its spectrum to AT&T and SpaceX. Neither deal has closed, according to The Wall Street Journal.
“EchoStar has been at the forefront of telecommunications for over 45 years, and these steps will position the business for an even stronger future,” EchoStar CEO Charlie Ergen says in the press release. “We are operating as usual throughout this process, delivering the same high-quality services that our customers expect.”
