STAMFORD, Conn., Aug. 24, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Charter Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: CHTR) (along with its subsidiaries, "Charter") today announced that its subsidiary, CCO Safari III, LLC, entered into a $1.0 billion Term Loan H senior secured credit facility and a $2.8 billion Term Loan I senior secured credit facility, each pursuant to the terms of the Charter Communications Operating, LLC Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, providing for $3.8 billion of term loans in the aggregate. The final maturity date of the Term Loan H is August 24, 2021, and the final maturity date of the Term Loan I is January 24, 2023. Pricing on the new Term Loan H was set at LIBOR plus 250 basis points, with a 75bps LIBOR floor. Pricing on the new Term Loan I was set at LIBOR plus 275 basis points, with a 75bps LIBOR floor. Term Loan H and Term Loan I were each issued with 0.25% of original issue discount.
Charter intends to use the net proceeds from the new term loans to partially finance Charter's previously announced transactions with Time Warner Cable Inc. (NYSE: TWC) and Bright House Networks, LLC. The proceeds from the new term loans have been placed in escrow at CCO Safari III, LLC until the closing of the transaction between Charter and Time Warner Cable Inc., at which time the loans will be assumed by Charter's subsidiary, Charter Communications Operating, LLC.
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, Goldman Sachs Bank USA, Goldman Sachs Lending Partners, LLC, Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. and UBS Securities LLC were the Joint Lead Arrangers and Joint Bookrunners for the new facilities.
About Charter
Charter (NASDAQ: CHTR) is a leading broadband communications company and the fourth-largest cable operator in the United States. Charter provides a full range of advanced broadband services, including advanced Charter Spectrum TV® video entertainment programming, Charter Spectrum Internet® access, and Charter Spectrum Voice®. Spectrum Business similarly provides scalable, tailored, and cost-effective broadband communications solutions to business organizations, such as business-to-business Internet access, data networking, business telephone, video and music entertainment services, and wireless backhaul. Charter's advertising sales and production services are sold under the Charter Media® brand. More information about Charter can be found at charter.com.
Important Information For Investors And Shareholders
This communication does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or a solicitation of any vote or approval. In connection with the proposed transaction between Time Warner Cable Inc. ("Time Warner Cable") and Charter Communications, Inc. ("Charter"), on August 20, 2015, Charter's subsidiary, CCH I, LLC ("New Charter"), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") a registration statement on Form S-4 that included a joint proxy statement of Charter and Time Warner Cable that also constitutes a prospectus of New Charter and commenced mailing the joint proxy statement to stockholders of Charter and stockholders of Time Warner Cable. This material is not a substitute for the joint proxy statement/prospectus or registration statement or for any other document that Charter or Time Warner Cable may file with the SEC and send to Charter's and/or Time Warner Cable's stockholders in connection with the proposed transactions. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS OF CHARTER AND TIME WARNER CABLE ARE URGED TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS AND OTHER DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. Investors and security holders will be able to obtain free copies of the proxy statement/prospectus and other documents filed with the SEC by Charter or Time Warner Cable through the website maintained by the SEC at http://www.sec.gov. Copies of the documents filed with the SEC by Charter will be available free of charge on Charter's website at charter.com, in the "Investor and News Center" near the bottom of the page, or by contacting Charter's Investor Relations Department at 203-905-7955. Copies of the documents filed with the SEC by Time Warner Cable will be available free of charge on Time Warner Cable's website at http://ir.timewarnercable.com or by contacting Time Warner Cable's Investor Relations Department at 877-446-3689.
Charter and Time Warner Cable and their respective directors and certain of their respective executive officers may be considered participants in the solicitation of proxies with respect to the proposed transactions under the rules of the SEC. Information about the directors and executive officers of Charter is set forth in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014, which was filed with the SEC on February 24, 2015, and its proxy statement for its 2015 annual meeting of stockholders, which was filed with the SEC on March 18, 2015. Information about the directors and executive officers of Time Warner Cable is set forth in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014, which was filed with the SEC on February 13, 2015, as amended April 27, 2015, its proxy statement for its 2015 annual meeting of stockholders, which was filed with the SEC on May 18, 2015 and its Current Report on Form 8-K, which was filed with the SEC on June 1, 2015. These documents can be obtained free of charge from the sources indicated above. Additional information regarding the participants in the proxy solicitations and a description of their direct and indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, will also be included in any proxy statement and other relevant materials to be filed with the SEC when they become available.
CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This communication includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, regarding, among other things, our plans, strategies and prospects, both business and financial. Although we believe that our plans, intentions and expectations reflected in or suggested by these forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot assure you that we will achieve or realize these plans, intentions or expectations. Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions including, without limitation, the factors described under "Risk Factors" from time to time in our filings with the SEC. Many of the forward-looking statements contained in this communication may be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as "believe", "expect", "anticipate", "should", "planned", "will", "may", "intend", "estimated", "aim", "on track", "target", "opportunity", "tentative", "positioning", "designed", "create", "predict", "project", "seek", "would", "could", "continue", "ongoing", "upside", "increases" and "potential", among others. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements we make in this communication are set forth in our Annual Report on Form 10-K and other reports or documents that we file from time to time with the SEC, and include, but are not limited to:
Risks Related to Time Warner Cable and Bright House Transactions (the "Transactions")
- delays in the completion of the Transactions;
- failure to receive necessary stockholder approvals;
- the risk that a condition to completion of the Transactions may not be satisfied;
- the risk that a regulatory or other approval that may be required for the Transactions is delayed, is not obtained or is obtained subject to conditions that are not anticipated;
- New Charter's ability to achieve the synergies and value creation contemplated by the Time Warner Cable Transaction and/or the Bright House Transaction;
- New Charter's ability to promptly, efficiently and effectively integrate acquired operations into its own operations;
- managing a significantly larger company than before the completion of the Transactions;
- diversion of management time on issues related to the Transactions;
- changes in Charter's, Time Warner Cable's or Bright House's businesses, future cash requirements, capital requirements, results of operations, revenues, financial condition and/or cash flows;
- disruption in the existing business relationships of Charter, Time Warner Cable and Bright House as a result of the Time Warner Cable Transaction and/or the Bright House Transaction;
- the increase in indebtedness as a result of the Transactions, which will increase interest expense and may decrease Charter's operating flexibility;
- changes in transaction costs, the amount of fees paid to financial advisors, potential termination fees and the potential payments to Time Warner Cable's and Bright House's executive officers in connection with the Transactions;
- operating costs and business disruption that may be greater than expected;
- the ability to retain and hire key personnel and maintain relationships with providers or other business partners pending completion of the Transactions; and
- the impact of competition.
Risks Related to Our Business
- our ability to sustain and grow revenues and cash flow from operations by offering video, Internet, voice, advertising and other services to residential and commercial customers, to adequately meet the customer experience demands in our markets and to maintain and grow our customer base, particularly in the face of increasingly aggressive competition, the need for innovation and the related capital expenditures;
- the impact of competition from other market participants, including but not limited to incumbent telephone companies, direct broadcast satellite operators, wireless broadband and telephone providers, digital subscriber line ("DSL") providers, video provided over the Internet and providers of advertising over the Internet;
- general business conditions, economic uncertainty or downturn, high unemployment levels and the level of activity in the housing sector;
- our ability to obtain programming at reasonable prices or to raise prices to offset, in whole or in part, the effects of higher programming costs (including retransmission consents);
- the development and deployment of new products and technologies including our cloud-based user interface, Spectrum Guide®, and downloadable security for set-top boxes;
- the effects of governmental regulation on our business or potential business combination transactions;
- the availability and access, in general, of funds to meet our debt obligations prior to or when they become due and to fund our operations and necessary capital expenditures, either through (i) cash on hand, (ii) free cash flow, or (iii) access to the capital or credit markets; and
- our ability to comply with all covenants in our indentures and credit facilities, any violation of which, if not cured in a timely manner, could trigger a default of our other obligations under cross-default provisions.
All forward-looking statements attributable to us or any person acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. We are under no duty or obligation to update any of the forward-looking statements after the date of this communication.
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SOURCE Charter Communications, Inc.
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