Sinclair, Inc. (Nasdaq: SBGI), the "Company" or "Sinclair")
today announced that Sinclair Television Group, Inc. (“STG” or the
“Issuer”) has commenced a private exchange offer (the “Exchange
Offer”) to Eligible Holders (as defined below) of 4.375% Second-Out
First Lien Secured Notes due 2032 (144A CUSIP / ISIN: 829259BF6 /
US829259BF69; REG S CUSIP / ISIN: U8275QAN0 / USU8275QAN08) (the
“Exchange Second-Out Notes”) for any and all of the Issuer’s
outstanding 4.125% Senior Secured Notes due 2030 (144A CUSIP /
ISIN: 829259BA7 / US829259BA72; REG S CUSIP / ISIN: U8275QAK6 /
USU8275QAK68) (the “Existing Notes”), on the terms and subject to
the conditions set forth in a Confidential Offering Memorandum,
Offer to Exchange and Consent Solicitation Statement, dated as of
January 27, 2025 (the “Offer Documents”).
Concurrently with the Exchange Offer, the Issuer is soliciting
consents (the “Consent Solicitation”) from Eligible Holders of the
Existing Notes with respect to certain amendments, supplements and
other modifications (the “Proposed Amendments”) to the indenture
governing the Existing Notes (the “Existing Indenture”). The
Proposed Amendments would, among other things (a) eliminate
substantially all of the restrictive covenants and certain of the
events of default and related definitions contained in the Existing
Indenture, (b) permit the Issuer to consummate the financing
transactions (the “Other Transactions”) described in the previously
disclosed transaction support agreement (the “Transaction Support
Agreement”) and (c) provide for the termination of the liens on the
collateral securing the Existing Notes that remain outstanding
following completion of the Exchange Offer and Consent Solicitation
(as amended, the “4.125% Unsecured Notes”), with the 4.125%
Unsecured Notes constituting senior unsecured obligations of the
Issuer and the guarantors, subordinated in right of security to all
existing and future senior secured obligations of the Issuer and
the guarantors. Holders of Existing Notes may validly deliver their
consents in the Consent Solicitation by tendering Existing Notes,
in which case the holders will be deemed to have delivered their
consents (the “Exchange and Consent Option”) or by delivering their
consents without tendering Existing Notes (the “Consent Only
Option”) Eligible Holders may not tender Existing Secured Notes
without delivering their consents.
The Issuer must receive the consents from holders of at least
two-thirds (66 2/3%) in aggregate principal amount of outstanding
Existing Notes not owned by the Issuer or any of its affiliates
(the “Requisite Notes Consents”) to adopt the Proposed Amendments.
As of the date hereof, various holders of the Existing Notes who
are parties to the Transaction Support Agreement (such holders,
collectively, the “Support Agreement Consenting Holders”) hold
Existing Notes representing the Requisite Notes Consents and have
separately agreed to deliver consents to the Proposed Amendments
(by electing to participate in either the Exchange and Consent
Option or the Consent Only Option, as applicable to such holder).
Upon receipt of the Requisite Notes Consents, the Issuer and the
guarantors of the Existing Notes expect to execute a supplemental
indenture to the Existing Indenture (the “Supplemental Indenture”)
providing for the Proposed Amendments.
The Exchange Offer and Consent Solicitation, including the
Issuer’s acceptance of validly tendered Existing Notes and payment
of the applicable consideration, is conditioned on the satisfaction
or waiver of certain conditions precedent, including, but not
limited to, the substantially contemporaneous consummation of the
Other Transactions, as further described in the Offer Documents.
The Issuer may terminate, withdraw, amend or extend the Exchange
Offer and/or Consent Solicitation in its sole discretion, subject
to certain exceptions.
As of the date hereof, the Support Agreement Consenting Holders
have agreed to deliver the Requisite Notes Consents, and the
lenders party to the Transaction Support Agreement hold an
aggregate principal amount of the Issuer’s outstanding loans and
commitments under its existing credit facilities under its existing
credit agreement, in each case, necessary to consent to the Other
Transactions and the Exchange Offer and Consent Solicitation. By
executing the Transaction Support Agreement, the lenders and
noteholders party thereto agreed, among other things, to use
commercially reasonable efforts to support and take all
commercially reasonable actions necessary or reasonably requested
by the Issuer to facilitate the consummation of the Other
Transactions and the Exchange Offer and Consent Solicitation.
The following table sets forth the consideration offered in the
Exchange Offer and Consent Solicitation Statement:
Consideration per $1,000 Principal Amount of Existing
Notes Tendered
CUSIP/ISIN
Outstanding Principal Amount
of Existing Notes
Total Consideration if
Tendered at or prior to the Early Tender Time
Exchange Consideration if
Tendered after the Early Tender Time
144A: 829259BA7 /
US829259BA72;
REG S: U8275QAK6 /
USU8275QAK68
$737,410,000
$1,000 in aggregate principal
amount of Exchange Second-Out Notes
$990 in aggregate principal
amount of Exchange Second-Out Notes
The Exchange Offer will expire at 11:59 p.m., New York City
time, on March 7, 2025, unless extended or earlier terminated (the
“Expiration Time”) by the Issuer. Eligible Holders that validly
tender their Existing Notes and deliver their consents prior to
5:00 p.m., New York City time, on February 7, 2025 (the “Early
Tender Time”), and do not validly withdraw their Existing Notes or
validly revoke their consents prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City
time, on February 7, 2025 (the “Withdrawal Deadline”), will receive
the total consideration set out in the applicable column in the
table above. Holders that validly tender their Existing Notes and
deliver their consents after the Early Tender Time and on or before
the Expiration Time will receive the exchange consideration set out
in the applicable column in the table above. Validly tendered
Existing Notes may not be withdrawn and consents may not be revoked
after the Withdrawal Deadline, subject to limited exceptions.
The Issuer will settle all exchanges promptly after the Early
Tender Time (the “Early Settlement Date”) and/or Expiration Time
(the “Final Settlement Date”). The Early Settlement Date is
expected to occur on February 12, 2025, three business days
following the Early Tender Time, assuming the conditions to the
Exchange Offer have either been satisfied or waived by the Issuer
at or prior to the Expiration Time. The Final Settlement Date is
expected to occur on March 12, 2025, three business days following
the Expiration Time, assuming the conditions to the Exchange Offer
have either been satisfied or waived by the Issuer at or prior to
the Expiration Time.
In addition to the exchange consideration set out in the
applicable column in the table above, Eligible Holders whose
Existing Notes are accepted for exchange will receive a cash
payment equal to the accrued and unpaid interest on such Existing
Notes from and including the immediately preceding interest payment
date for such Existing Notes to, but excluding, the Early
Settlement Date. For the avoidance of doubt, accrued interest for
such Existing Notes will cease to accrue on the Early Settlement
Date for all Existing Notes accepted in the Exchange Offer and
Eligible Holders whose Existing Notes are tendered after the Early
Settlement Date and are accepted for purchase will not receive
payment in respect of any interest for the period from and
including the Early Settlement Date. Under no circumstances will
any interest be payable because of any delay in the transmission of
funds to Eligible Holders by DTC or its participants.
Holders delivering their consent pursuant to the Consent Only
Option must deliver (and not validly revoke) their consents by 5:00
p.m., New York City time, on February 7, 2025, unless extended
(such date and time, as the same may be extended, the “Consent Only
Deadline”). Consents delivered in accordance with the Consent Only
Option may be validly revoked at any time at or prior to the time
and date on which the Supplemental Indenture is executed (the
“Consent Time”) and may not be validly revoked at any time after
the Consent Time, even if the Consent Only Deadline is later than
the Consent Time. Holders who validly deliver consents pursuant to
the Consent Only Option will not receive any payment or any
Exchange Second-Out Notes through the Consent Solicitation.
The Exchange Second-Out Notes will mature on December 31, 2032.
The Issuer will pay interest at a rate of 4.375% per annum.
Interest on the Exchange Second-Out Notes will accrue from the date
of original issuance and will be payable semi-annually in arrears
on June 1 and December 1 of each year to the holders of record at
the close of business on May 15 and November 15, whether or not a
business day, prior to such interest payment date, provided that
interest payable on the maturity date shall be payable to the
person to whom principal shall be payable. The first interest
payment date is June 1, 2025.
The Issuer’s obligations under the Exchange Second-Out Notes
will be jointly and severally guaranteed, on a senior unsecured
basis, by Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc., the Issuer’s direct
parent (“SBG”), and each wholly-owned subsidiary of the Issuer or
SBG that guarantees the Issuer’s new credit agreement entered into
upon consummation of the Other Transactions and the Exchange
Offer.
The Exchange Offer is being made, and the Exchange Second-Out
Notes are being offered and issued, only to holders of Existing
Notes who are reasonably believed to be (i) “qualified
institutional buyers” as defined in Rule 144A under the Securities
Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) or (ii) not U.S.
persons (as defined in Regulation S under the Securities Act) or
purchasing for the account or benefit of U.S. persons, other than a
distributor, and are purchasing the Exchange Second-Out Notes in an
offshore transaction in accordance with Regulation S. The holders
of Existing Notes who are eligible to participate in the Exchange
Offer pursuant to the foregoing conditions are referred to as
“Eligible Holders.” Only Eligible Holders are authorized to receive
or review the Offering Documents or to participate in the Exchange
Offer and Consent Solicitation.
J.P. Morgan Securities LLC will act as sole Dealer Manager for
the Exchange Offer and Consent Solicitation.
The Offer Documents will be distributed only to holders of
Existing Notes that complete and return a letter of eligibility
confirming that they are Eligible Holders. Copies of the
eligibility letter are available to holders through the information
and exchange agent for the Exchange Offer and Consent Solicitation,
Ipreo LLC, at (888) 593-9546 (U.S. toll-free) or (212) 849-3880
(Banks and Brokers) or ipreo-exchangeoffer@ihsmarkit.com.
The Exchange Offer and Consent Solicitation is made only by, and
pursuant to the terms of, the Offer Documents, and the information
in this news release is qualified by reference thereto.
This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the
solicitation of an offer to exchange or purchase the Exchange
Second-Out Notes, nor shall there be any offer or exchange of the
Exchange Second-Out Notes in any state or jurisdiction in which
such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. In addition,
this press release is neither an offer to exchange or purchase nor
a solicitation of an offer to sell any Existing Notes in the
Exchange Offer or a solicitation of consents to the Proposed
Amendments, and this press release does not constitute a notice of
redemption with respect to any securities.
The Exchange Second-Out Notes have not been and will not be
registered under the Securities Act or any state securities laws
and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent
registration or an applicable exemption from registration
requirements. Accordingly, the Exchange Second-Out Notes are being
offered for exchange only to persons reasonably believed to be (i)
“qualified institutional buyers” (as defined in Rule 144A under the
Securities Act) or (ii) not U.S. persons (as defined in Regulation
S under the Securities Act) or purchasing for the account or
benefit of U.S. persons, other than a distributor, and are
purchasing the Exchange Second-Out Notes in an offshore transaction
in accordance with Regulation S.
Forward-Looking
Statements:
The matters discussed in this news release, particularly those
in the section labeled “Outlook,” include forward-looking
statements regarding, among other things, the Other Transactions.
When used in this news release, the words “outlook,” “intends to,”
“believes,” “anticipates,” “expects,” “achieves,” “estimates,” and
similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking
statements. Such statements are subject to a number of risks and
uncertainties. Actual results in the future could differ materially
and adversely from those described in the forward-looking
statements as a result of various important factors, including and
in addition to the assumptions set forth therein, but not limited
to, the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstance that
could give rise to the termination of the Other Transactions or the
Exchange Offer and/or Consent Solicitation, the ability to
negotiate and reach agreement on definitive documentation relating
to the Other Transactions or the Exchange Offer and/or Consent
Solicitation, the ability to satisfy closing conditions to the
completion of the Other Transactions or the Exchange Offer and/or
Consent Solicitation; the Company’s ability to achieve the
anticipated benefits from the Other Transactions and the Exchange
Offer and/or Consent Solicitation; other risks related to the
completion of the Other Transactions, the Exchange Offer or the
Consent Solicitation and actions related thereto, the Company’s
ability the rate of decline in the number of subscribers to
services provided by traditional and virtual multi-channel video
programming distributors (“Distributors”); the Company’s ability to
generate cash to service its substantial indebtedness; the
successful execution of outsourcing agreements; the successful
execution of retransmission consent agreements; the successful
execution of network and Distributor affiliation agreements; the
Company’s ability to identify and consummate acquisitions and
investments, to manage increased financial leverage resulting from
acquisitions and investments, and to achieve anticipated returns on
those investments once consummated; the Company’s ability to
compete for viewers and advertisers; pricing and demand
fluctuations in local and national advertising; the appeal of the
Company’s programming and volatility in programming costs; material
legal, financial and reputational risks and operational disruptions
resulting from a breach of the Company’s information systems; the
impact of FCC and other regulatory proceedings against the Company;
compliance with laws and uncertainties associated with potential
changes in the regulatory environment affecting the Company’s
business and growth strategy; the impact of pending and future
litigation claims against the Company; the Company’s limited
experience in operating or investing in non-broadcast related
businesses; and any risk factors set forth in the Company’s recent
reports on Form 10-Q and/or Form 10-K, as filed with the Securities
and Exchange Commission. There can be no assurances that the
assumptions and other factors referred to in this release will
occur. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly release the
result of any revisions to these forward-looking statements except
as required by law.
Category: Financial
View source
version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250126424154/en/
Investor Contacts: Chris King, VP,
Investor Relations Billie-Jo McIntire, VP, Corporate Finance (410)
568-1500
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