9.Employee Benefit Plans

Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Our employees participate in the DISH Network employee stock purchase plan (the “ESPP”), in which DISH Network is authorized to issue up to 3.8 million shares of Class A common stock. At December 31, 2018, DISH Network had 0.8 million shares of Class A common stock which remain available for issuance under the ESPP. Substantially all full-time employees who have been employed by DISH Network for at least one calendar quarter are eligible to participate in the ESPP. Employee stock purchases are made through payroll deductions. Under the terms of the ESPP, employees may not deduct an amount which would permit such employee to purchase DISH Network’s capital stock under all of DISH Network’s stock purchase plans at a rate which would exceed $25,000 in fair value of capital stock in any one year. The purchase price of the stock is 85% of the closing price of DISH Network’s Class A common stock on the last business day of each calendar quarter in which such shares of DISH Network’s Class A common stock are deemed sold to an employee under the ESPP. During the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, employee purchases of DISH Network’s Class A common stock through the ESPP totaled approximately 0.6 million, 0.3 million and 0.2 million shares, respectively.

401(k) Employee Savings Plan

DISH Network sponsors a 401(k) Employee Savings Plan (the “401(k) Plan”) for eligible employees. Voluntary employee contributions to the 401(k) Plan may be matched 50% by DISH Network, subject to a maximum annual contribution of $2,500 per employee. Forfeitures of unvested participant balances which are retained by the 401(k) Plan may be used to fund matching and discretionary contributions. DISH Network’s board of directors may also authorize an annual discretionary contribution to the 401(k) Plan with authorization by our Board of Directors, subject to the maximum deductible limit provided by the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. These contributions may be made in cash or in DISH Network’s stock.

The following table summarizes the expense associated with our matching contributions and discretionary contributions:


	For the Years Ended December 31,
Expense Recognized Related to the 401(k) Plan	2018		2017		2016
	(In thousands)
Matching contributions, net of forfeitures	$	10,300	$	7,070	$	6,546
Discretionary stock contributions, net of forfeitures	$	27,048	$	27,969	$	23,158