T-Mobile US and Sprint today announced they have entered into a definitive agreement to merge in an all-stock transaction at a fixed exchange ratio of 0.10256 T-Mobile shares for each Sprint share or the equivalent of 9.75 Sprint shares for each T-Mobile US share. Based on closing share prices on April 27, this represents a total implied enterprise value of approximately $59 billion for Sprint and approximately $146 billion for the combined company. The new company will have a strong closing balance sheet and a fully funded business plan with a strong foundation of secured investment grade debt at close.
The combined company will be named T-Mobile, and it will be a force for positive change in the U.S. wireless, video, and broadband industries. The combination of spectrum holdings, resulting network scale, and expected run rate cost synergies of $6+ billion, representing a net present value (NPV) of $43+ billion will supercharge T-Mobile’s Un-carrier strategy to disrupt the marketplace and lay the foundation for U.S. companies and innovators to lead in the 5G era.
The New T-Mobile will have the network capacity to rapidly create a nationwide 5G network with the breadth and depth needed to enable U.S. firms and entrepreneurs to continue to lead the world in the coming 5G era, as U.S. companies did in 4G. The new company will be able to light up a broad and deep 5G network faster than either company could separately. T-Mobile deployed nationwide LTE twice as fast as Verizon and three times faster than AT&T, and the combined company is positioned to do the same in 5G with deep spectrum assets and network capacity.
The combined company will have lower costs, greater economies of scale, and the resources to provide U.S. consumers and businesses with lower prices, better quality, unmatched value, and greater competition. The New T-Mobile will employ more people than both companies separately and create thousands of new American jobs.
Following closing, the new company will be headquartered in Bellevue, Wash., with a second headquarters in Overland Park, Kan. John Legere, current President and Chief Executive Officer of T-Mobile US and the creator of T-Mobile’s successful Un-carrier strategy, will serve as Chief Executive Officer, and Mike Sievert, current Chief Operating Officer of T-Mobile, will serve as President and Chief Operating Officer of the combined company. The remaining members of the new management team will be selected from both companies during the closing period. Tim Höttges, current T-Mobile US Chairman of the Board, will serve as Chairman of the Board for the new company. Masayoshi Son, current SoftBank Group Chairman and CEO, and Marcelo Claure, current Chief Executive Officer of Sprint, will serve on the board of the new company.
“This combination will create a fierce competitor with the network scale to deliver more for consumers and businesses in the form of lower prices, more innovation, and a second-to-none network experience – and do it all so much faster than either company could on its own,” said John Legere.
“As industry lines blur and we enter the 5G era, consumers and businesses need a company with the disruptive culture and capabilities to force positive change on their behalf.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nsbmtwMrgY
The new company expects prices to drop as competition heats up. The New T-Mobile will have lower costs, greater economies of scale, and unprecedented network capacity – a winning combination that should make wireless, and adjacent industries like cable and broadband, more affordable for everyone.
“The combination of these two dynamic companies can only benefit the U.S. consumer. Both Sprint and T-Mobile have similar DNA and have eliminated confusing rate plans, converging into one rate plan: Unlimited,” said Marcelo Claure.
“We intend to bring this same competitive disruption as we look to build the world’s best 5G network that will make the U.S. a hotbed for innovation and will redefine the way consumers live and work across the U.S., including in rural America. As we do this, we will force our competitors to follow suit, as they always do, which will benefit the entire country. I am confident this combination will spur job creation and ensure opportunities for Sprint employees as part of a larger, stronger combined organization, and I am thrilled that Kansas City will be a second headquarters for the merged company.”
The combination will dramatically accelerate T-Mobile’s successful Un-carrier strategy, which is built around listening to customers and solving their pain points. It will also leverage Sprint’s incredible spectrum assets and strong DNA.
The deal will create more competition and unmatched value for customers across the country. And, existing T-Mobile and Sprint customers will benefit from increased speeds, coverage, and performance as the two companies’ networks combine.
Wireless, broadband, and video markets are rapidly converging. AT&T is now the largest TV provider in the country. Comcast added more wireless phone customers last year than AT&T and Verizon combined, and Charter is launching wireless this year. And, more than 1 in 10 Americans (12%) use wireless as their only Internet or broadband connection, freeing themselves from the grip of the traditional, uncompetitive in-home broadband providers.
“This isn’t a case of going from 4 to 3 wireless companies – there are now at least 7 or 8 big competitors in this converging market. And in 5G, we’ll go from 0 to 1. Only the New T-Mobile will have the capacity to deliver real, nationwide 5G,” added Legere.
“We’re confident that, once regulators see the compelling benefits, they’ll agree this is the right move at the right time for consumers and the country.”
In this rapidly converging marketplace, the new company will bring more choice and competition – for all consumers, including three key underserved areas:
- Rural communities. Rural Americans seldom have a choice of more than one or two wireless, broadband, or cable providers. The New T-Mobile will end that with increased reach and plans to open hundreds of new stores in rural communities, creating thousands of new jobs. Millions of Americans in rural communities will have more choice and competition, where they may have none today.
- Broadband. 51% of Americans have only one high-speed broadband option – no choice at all! The combined company will create a viable alternative for millions by enabling mobile connections that rival broadband, driving prices lower and improving service.
- Business and government wireless services. Today, Verizon and AT&T dominate this category with 4x more customers than Sprint and T-Mobile added together. With its assets and capabilities, the new company will unlock real competition for business and government customers.
Driving Significant U.S. Job Growth
From the first day Sprint and T-Mobile combine and every year thereafter, the new company will employ more people in the U.S. than both companies would separately. More than 200,000 people will work on behalf of the combined company in the U.S. at the start.
And, the New T-Mobile plans to invest up to $40 billion in its new network and business in the first three years alone, a massive capital outlay that will fuel job growth at the new company and across related sectors. This is 46% more than T-Mobile and Sprint spent combined in the past three years.
This combination will also force AT&T, Charter, Comcast, Verizon, and others to make investments of their own to compete, driving billions more in accelerated investment.
Five years ago, T-Mobile merged with MetroPCS to compete in the 4G era – a transaction that has resulted in substantial job growth. Three times the number of people work on MetroPCS today compared to the time of the acquisition in 2013. With that track record, the New T-Mobile will accelerate long-term economic stimulus for the U.S. in the 5G era — ultimately leading to the creation of thousands of American jobs and supporting business opportunities for the U.S. economy.
5G is expected to create 3 million new U.S. jobs and $500 billion in economic growth by 2024, according to a report from CTIA, and the combined company will be a catalyst in driving that massive economic stimulus.
Transaction Details and Financial Profile
The new company expects to create substantial value for T-Mobile and Sprint shareholders through an expected $6+ billion in run rate cost synergies, representing a net present value (NPV) of $43+ billion, net of expected costs to achieve such cost synergies. This transaction will also enhance the financial position of the combined company. Highlights include:
- Pro Forma 2018E Service Revenue of $53-57 billion
- Pro Forma 2018E Adjusted EBITDA of $22-23 billion
- Pro Forma 2018E Adjusted EBITDA Margin of 40-42% with a longer-term target of 54-57%
- Pro Forma 2018E Net Debt of $63-65 billion with a streamlined single-silo corporate debt structure
- Fully funded business plan with significant liquidity at close
The Boards of Directors of T-Mobile and Sprint have approved the transaction. Deutsche Telekom and SoftBank Group are expected to hold approximately 42% and 27% of diluted economic ownership of the combined company, respectively, with the remaining approximately 31% held by the public. The Board will consist of 14 directors, 9 nominated by Deutsche Telekom and 4 nominated by SoftBank Group, including Masayoshi Son, Chairman and CEO of SoftBank Group, and Marcelo Claure, CEO of Sprint. John Legere, CEO of the New T-Mobile, will also serve as a director. Upon consummation of the transaction, the combined company is expected to trade under the (TMUS) symbol on the NASDAQ.
The new company will have some of the most iconic brands in wireless – T-Mobile, Sprint, MetroPCS, Boost Mobile, Virgin Mobile – and will determine brand strategy after the transaction closes.
The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals. The transaction is expected to close no later than the first half of 2019.
Conference Call / Webcast Information
T-Mobile and Sprint will host a conference call for investors and media at 12:30 PM Eastern Time today (9:30 AM Pacific Time) to discuss this announcement.
A live audio webcast of the call can be accessed at Allfor5G.com. To submit questions via Twitter, send a tweet to @JohnLegere, @MarceloClaure, @TMobile, or @Sprint using #5GforAll. Investors and media can access the teleconference by calling 888-599-8685 (U.S. Toll Free) or +1 323-794-2415 (International). The access code for the call is 894223.
The conference call will be available for replay and can be accessed from Allfor5G.com or by dialing 888-203-1112 (U.S. Toll Free) or +1 719-457-0820 (International). The access code for the replay is 8152135.
