Charlie ErgensEchoStarreported a slight net Pay TV subscriber gain in the third quarter, along with another big spectrum deal and management tweaks.

In the third quarter, it added 159,000 Sling TV subscribers to hit 1.995 million, but lost 152,000 Dish TV subs to hit 5.171 million, down from 5.323 million as of June, for a total sub count of 7.166 million.

It also unveiled an amended definitive agreement withSpaceX to sell the companys unpaired AWS-3 licenses for approximately$2.6 billion inSpaceXstock, a transaction that builds on a deal that the companies entered in September. EchoStar has been led by Hamid Akhavan and CEO and president, with Ergen serving as EchoStars executive chairman, but that changed on Thursday.

This transaction withSpaceX, in addition to our previously announced spectrum transactions and commercial agreements, will strengthenEchoStars ability to develop new business opportunities and growth in value for our shareholders, said Akhavan. The combination of AWS-3 uplink, AWS-4 and H-block spectrum fromEchoStarwith the rocket launch and satellite manufacturing capabilities fromSpaceXaccelerates the realization of powerful and economical direct-to-cell service offerings for consumers and enterprises worldwide, including our Boost Mobile customers.

Closing of the proposed transaction will occur after all required regulatory approvals are received and other closing conditions are satisfied.

The company on Thursday also announced a new business called EchoStar Capital that will be responsible for investing new capital from the recent spectrum transactions to fuel future growth opportunities for EchoStar. Akhavanwill serve as CEO, while Ergen willtake back the roles as president and CEO of EchoStar Corp. and assume the operating responsibility for the pay-TV and wireless business units.

EchoStar will soon be in the unique position of having substantial available capital, vastly changing its scope of opportunities. Through EchoStar Capital we will fuel EchoStars growth into new and complementary arenas, beyond its successful pay-TV, wireless and enterprise business units, concluded Akhavan.