Stock-Based Compensation (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2014

Stock-Based Compensation

Schedule of stock awards outstanding

	As of December 31, 2014
	DISH Network Awards		EchoStar Awards
Stock Awards Outstanding	Stock Options	Restricted Stock Units	Stock Options	Restricted Stock Units
Held by DISH DBS employees	10,214,344	1,731,332	409,188	42,056

Schedule of exercise prices for stock options outstanding and exercisable associated with employees

Exercise prices for DISH Network stock options outstanding and exercisable associated with our employees as of December 31, 2014 were as follows:

					Options Outstanding				Options Exercisable
					Number Outstanding as of December 31, 2014	Weighted- Average Remaining Contractual Life	Weighted- Average Exercise Price		Number Exercisable as of December 31, 2014	Weighted- Average Remaining Contractual Life	Weighted- Average Exercise Price
$	—	-	$	10.00	961,494	2.84	$	6.33	961,494	2.84	$	6.33
$	10.01	-	$	20.00	3,803,409	3.07	$	17.36	444,009	1.62	$	17.53
$	20.01	-	$	30.00	2,711,366	5.40	$	25.65	1,414,466	4.98	$	25.63
$	30.01	-	$	40.00	2,047,125	7.68	$	35.88	228,825	7.23	$	35.20
$	40.01	-	$	50.00	25,200	6.43	$	44.43	10,000	3.50	$	42.52
$	50.01	-	$	60.00	100,000	7.75	$	57.92	25,000	5.60	$	57.92
$	60.01	-	$	70.00	565,750	8.86	$	64.17	23,750	6.80	$	63.79
$	—	-	$	70.00	10,214,344	4.96	$	25.29	3,107,544	4.01	$	19.81

Schedule of stock option activity associated with employees

	For the Years Ended December 31,
	2014				2013				2012
	Options		Weighted- Average Exercise Price		Options		Weighted- Average Exercise Price		Options		Weighted- Average Exercise Price
Total options outstanding, beginning of period (1)	11,938,090		$	22.49	13,018,490		$	18.99	17,640,074		$	20.38
Granted	667,750		$	63.23	2,225,500		$	36.75	589,500		$	32.25
Exercised	(2,233,496	)	$	20.49	(3,172,900	)	$	14.70	(4,406,888	)	$	18.51
Forfeited and cancelled	(158,000	)	$	41.84	(133,000	)	$	30.25	(804,196	)	$	20.34
Total options outstanding, end of period	10,214,344		$	25.29	11,938,090		$	22.49	13,018,490		$	18.99
Performance based options outstanding, end of period (2)	5,926,500		$	25.15	6,468,500		$	24.92	6,400,700		$	18.71
Exercisable at end of period	3,107,544		$	19.81	4,061,289		$	17.88	4,310,489		$	17.92

(1) The beginning of period weighted-average exercise price for the year ended December 31, 2013 of $18.99 does not reflect the 2012 Stock Option Adjustment, which occurred subsequent to December 31, 2012.  The beginning of period weighted-average exercise price for the year ended December 31, 2012 of $20.38 does not reflect the 2011 Stock Option Adjustment, which occurred subsequent to December 31, 2011.

(2) These stock options are included in the caption “Total options outstanding, end of period.”  See discussion of the 2005 LTIP, 2008 LTIP, 2013 LTIP and Other Employee Performance Awards below.

Schedule of realized tax benefits from stock awards exercised

	For the Years Ended December 31,
	2014		2013		2012
	(In thousands)
Tax benefit from stock awards exercised	$	42,334	$	37,583	$	22,898

Schedule of aggregate intrinsic value of stock options associated with employees

	As of December 31, 2014
	Options Outstanding		Options Exercisable
	(In thousands)
Aggregate intrinsic value	$	486,198	$	164,936

Schedule of restricted stock unit activity associated with employees

	For the Years Ended December 31,
	2014				2013				2012
	Restricted Stock Awards		Weighted- Average Grant Date Fair Value		Restricted Stock Awards		Weighted- Average Grant Date Fair Value		Restricted Stock Awards		Weighted- Average Grant Date Fair Value
Total restricted stock units outstanding, beginning of period	1,863,165		$	29.27	1,076,748		$	22.82	1,179,709		$	23.11
Granted	316,500		$	63.57	990,000		$	36.53	—		$	—
Vested	(278,000	)	$	45.04	(135,250	)	$	29.19	(24,795	)	$	22.94
Forfeited and cancelled	(170,333	)	$	33.43	(68,333	)	$	32.91	(78,166	)	$	27.20
Total restricted stock units outstanding, end of period	1,731,332		$	32.60	1,863,165		$	29.27	1,076,748		$	22.82
Restricted Performance Units outstanding, end of period (1)	1,731,332		$	32.60	1,863,165		$	29.27	1,076,748		$	22.82

(1) These Restricted Performance Units are included in the caption “Total restricted stock units outstanding, end of period.”  See discussion of the 2005 LTIP, 2008 LTIP, 2013 LTIP and Other Employee Performance Awards below.

Schedule of awards outstanding pursuant to performance-based stock incentive plans

	As of December 31, 2014
Performance Based Stock Options	Number of Awards	Weighted- Average Exercise Price
2005 LTIP (1)	1,844,500	$	20.82
2013 LTIP	1,592,000	$	40.02
Other employee performance awards	2,490,000	$	18.85
Total	5,926,500	$	25.15
Restricted Performance Units
2005 LTIP (1)	210,332
2013 LTIP	796,000
Other employee performance awards	725,000
Total	1,731,332

(1) It was determined that the goal can no longer be achieved under the terms of the 2005 LTIP.

Schedule of allocated non-cash, stock-based compensation expense for all employees

	For the Years Ended December 31,
	2014		2013		2012
	(In thousands)
Subscriber-related	$	1,859	$	1,947	$	1,607
General and administrative	32,165		27,700		36,966
Total non-cash, stock based compensation	$	34,024	$	29,647	$	38,573

Schedule of assumptions of Black-Scholes option valuation model

	For the Years Ended December 31,
Stock Options	2014	2013	2012
Risk-free interest rate	1.80% - 2.84%	0.91% - 2.66%	0.41% - 1.29%
Volatility factor	28.53% - 38.62%	32.37% - 39.87%	33.15% - 39.50%
Expected term of options in years	5.5 - 9.0	5.6 - 10.0	3.1 - 5.9
Weighted-average fair value of options granted	$19.08 - $29.20	$14.49 - $21.09	$6.72 - $13.79

LTIP 2008, LTIP 2013 and Other

Stock-Based Compensation

Schedule of unrecognized non-cash, stock-based compensation expense

	For the Years Ended December 31,
Non-Cash, Stock-Based Compensation Expense Recognized	2014		2013		2012
	(In thousands)
2008 LTIP	$	—	$	2,719	$	9,025
2013 LTIP	12,361		8,137		—
Other employee performance awards	14,095		4,045		7,471
Total non-cash, stock-based compensation expense recognized for performance based awards	$	26,456	$	14,901	$	16,496

Schedule of non-cash, stock-based compensation expense recognized

Estimated Remaining Non-Cash, Stock-Based Compensation Expense	2013 LTIP		Other Employee Performance Awards
	(In thousands)
Expense estimated to be recognized during 2015	$	1,749	$	1,694
Estimated contingent expense subsequent to 2015	52,928		36,087
Total estimated remaining expense over the term of the plan	$	54,677	$	37,781