As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 29, 2019

Registration No. 333-            

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM S-8

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

VIASAT, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

6155 El Camino Real

Carlsbad, California 92009

(760) 476-2200

(Address of Principal Executive Offices)

Viasat, Inc. 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan

(Full Title of the Plan)

Robert Blair, Esq.

Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary

Viasat, Inc.

6155 El Camino Real

Carlsbad, California 92009

(760) 476-2200

(Name, Address and Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Agent for Service)

Copies to:

Craig M. Garner, Esq.

Latham & Watkins LLP

12670 High Bluff Drive

San Diego, California 92130

(858) 523-5400

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ☐

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This registration statement on Form S-8 is filed by Viasat, Inc. (“Viasat”) to register an additional 1,000,000 shares of Viasat common stock that may be contributed to the 401(k) Plan by Viasat in satisfaction of its company matching contribution obligations under the 401(k) Plan, which shares will be newly-issued shares. In accordance with Instruction E to Form S-8, the contents of the prior Form S-8 registration statements (Commission File Nos. 333-159708, 333-167379, 333-182015 and 333-204440) are incorporated herein by reference.

PART I

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS

The documents containing the information specified in Part I of Form S-8 will be sent or given to participants as specified by Rule 428(b)(1) of the Securities Act. These documents and the documents incorporated by reference into this registration statement pursuant to Item 3 of Part II of this registration statement, taken together, constitute a prospectus that meets the requirements of Section 10(a) of the Securities Act.

PART II

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3.  Incorporation of Documents by Reference.

Viasat hereby incorporates the following documents in this registration statement by reference:

In addition, all documents filed by Viasat pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act subsequent to the filing of this registration statement and prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment which indicates that all securities offered hereby have been sold or which de-registers all securities then remaining unsold shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference into this registration statement and to be a part hereof from the date of filing such documents, except as to specific sections of such statements as set forth therein. Any statement contained in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this registration statement to the extent that a statement contained herein or in any other subsequently filed document which also is incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein modifies or supersedes such statement. Any statement contained herein shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this registration statement to the extent that a statement contained in any subsequently filed document which also is incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein modifies or supersedes such statement. Any such statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this registration statement.

Under no circumstances shall any information furnished under Item 2.02 or 7.01 of Form 8-K be deemed incorporated herein by reference unless such Form 8-K expressly provides to the contrary.

Item 8. Exhibits.

* In lieu of the opinion of counsel or determination letter contemplated by Item 601(b)(5)(ii) of Regulation S-K with respect to the qualification of the 401(k) Plan, as amended to date, under Section 401 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), Viasat hereby undertakes that it will submit the 401(k) Plan to the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) in a timely manner when required and will make any and all changes required by the IRS in order to qualify the 401(k) Plan under Section 401 of the Code.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that the registrant meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Carlsbad, State of California, on May 29, 2019.

Each person whose signature appears below hereby constitutes and appoints Mark Dankberg and Robert Blair, jointly and severally, his attorneys-in-fact, each with the full power of substitution, for him in any and all capacities, to sign this registration statement, and any amendments thereto (including post-effective amendments), and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, hereby ratifying and confirming all that each of said attorneys-in-fact, or his substitute or substitutes, may do or cause to be done by virtue hereof. Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, this registration statement has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, the Plan Administrator of the Viasat, Inc. 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Carlsbad, State of California, on May 29, 2019.

Exhibit 5.1

				12670 High Bluff Drive
				San Diego, California 92130
				Tel: +1.858.523.5400 Fax: +1.858.523.5450
				www.lw.com
				FIRM / AFFILIATE OFFICES
				Beijing		Moscow
				Boston		Munich
				Brussels		New York
May 29, 2019				Century City		Orange County
				Chicago		Paris
				Dubai		Riyadh
				Düsseldorf		San Diego
				Frankfurt		San Francisco
				Hamburg		Seoul
				Hong Kong		Shanghai
				Houston		Silicon Valley
				London		Singapore
				Los Angeles		Tokyo
				Madrid		Washington, D.C.
				Milan

Viasat, Inc.

6155 El Camino Real

Carlsbad, California 92009

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We have acted as special counsel to Viasat, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the proposed issuance by the Company of 1,000,000 shares (the “Shares”) of common stock of the Company, par value $0.0001 per share, that may be contributed by the Company in satisfaction of the Company’s matching contributions to the 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan of the Company (the “Plan”). The Shares are included in the Registration Statement on Form S-8 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) on May 29, 2019 (the “Registration Statement”). This opinion is being furnished in connection with the requirements of Item 601(b)(5) of Regulation S-K under the Act, and no opinion is expressed herein as to any matter pertaining to the contents of the Registration Statement, other than as expressly stated herein with respect to the issuance of the Shares.

As such counsel, we have examined such matters of fact and questions of law as we have considered appropriate for purposes of this letter. With your consent, we have relied upon certificates and other assurances of officers of the Company and others as to factual matters without having independently verified such factual matters. We are opining herein as to the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, and we express no opinion with respect to any other laws.

In our examination, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals and the conformity to authentic original documents of all documents submitted to us as copies.

May 29, 2019

Page 2

Subject to the foregoing and the other matters set forth herein, it is our opinion that, as of the date hereof, when the Shares shall have been duly registered on the books of the transfer agent and registrar therefor in the name or on behalf of the recipients, or certificates representing the Shares (in the form of the specimen certificate incorporated by reference as an exhibit to the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K) have been manually signed by an authorized officer of the transfer agent and registrar therefor, and when the Shares have been issued by the Company in satisfaction of the Company’s matching contributions to the Plan against payment therefor (not less than par value) in the circumstances contemplated by the Plan, the issuance of the Shares will have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action of the Company, and the Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable. In rendering the foregoing opinion, we have assumed that the Company will comply with all applicable notice requirements regarding uncertificated shares provided in the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.

This opinion is for your benefit in connection with the Registration Statement and may be relied upon by you and by persons entitled to rely upon it pursuant to the applicable provisions of the Act. We consent to your filing this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. In giving such consent, we do not thereby admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.

Exhibit 5.2

		DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE WASHINGTON, D.C. 20224

Dear Applicant:

In our opinion, the form of the plan identified above is acceptable under section 401 of the Internal Revenue Code for use by employers for the benefit of their employees. This opinion relates only to the acceptability of the form of the plan under the Internal Revenue Code. It is not an opinion of the effect of other Federal or local statutes.

You must furnish a copy of this letter, a copy of the approved plan, and copies of any subsequent amendments to each employer who adopts this plan. Effective on or after 10/31/2011, interim amendments adopted by the sponsor on behalf of employers must provide the date of adoption by the sponsor.

This letter considers the changes in qualification requirements contained in the 2010 Cumulative List of Notice 2010-90, 2010-52 I.R.B. 909.

Our opinion on the acceptability of the form of the plan is not a ruling or determination as to whether an employer’s plan qualifies under Code section 401(a). However, an employer that adopts this plan may rely on this letter with respect to the qualification of its plan under Code section 401(a), as provided for in Rev. Proc. 2011-49, 2011-44 I.R.B. 608, and outlined below. The terms of the plan must be followed in operation.

Except as provided below, our opinion does not apply with respect to the requirements of Code sections 401(a)(4), 401(1), 410(b), and 414(s). Our opinion does not apply for purposes of Code section 401(a)(10)(B) and section 401(a)(16) if an employer ever maintained another qualified plan for one or more employees who are covered by this plan. For this purpose, the employer will not be considered to have maintained another plan merely because the employer has maintained another defined contribution plan(s), provided such other plan(s) has been terminated prior to the effective date of this plan and no annual additions have been credited to the account of any participant under such other plan(s) as of any date within the limitation year of this plan. Also, for this purpose, an employer is considered as maintaining another plan, to the extent that the employer maintains a welfare benefit fund defined in Code section 419(e), which provides postretirement medical benefits allocated to separate accounts for key employees as defined in Code section 419A(d)(3), or an individual medical account as defined in Code section 415(l)(2), which is part of a pension or annuity plan maintained by the employer, or a simplified employee pension plan.

Our opinion does not apply for purposes of the requirement of section 1.401(a)-1 (b)(2) of the regulations applicable to a money purchase plan or target benefit plan where the normal retirement age under the employer’s plan is lower than age 62.

Letter 4334

GREAT-WEST TRUST COMPANY, LLC

FFN: 313A8770711-005

Page: 2

This is not a ruling or determination with respect to any language in the plan that reflects Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act, Pub. L. 104-199, 110 Stat. 2419 (DOMA) or U.S. v. Windsor, 133 S. Ct. 2675 (2013), which invalidated that section.

Our opinion applies with respect to the requirements of Code section 410(b) if 100 percent of all nonexcludable employees benefit under the plan. Employers that elect a safe harbor allocation formula and a safe harbor compensation definition can also rely on an opinion letter with respect to the nondiscriminatory amounts requirement under section 401(a)(4). If this plan includes a CODA or otherwise provides for contributions subject to sections 401(k) and/or 401(m), the opinion letter can be relied on with respect to the form of the nondiscrimination tests of 401(k)(3) and 401(m)(2) if the employer uses a safe harbor compensation definition. In the case of plans described in section 401(k)(12) or (13) and/or 401(m)(11) or (12), employers may also rely on the opinion letter with respect to whether the form of the plan satisfies the requirements of those sections unless the plan provides for the safe harbor contribution to be made under another plan.

The employer may request a determination (1) as to whether the plan, considered with all related qualified plans and, if appropriate, welfare benefit funds, individual medical benefit accounts, and simplified employee pension plans, satisfies the requirements of Code section 401(a)(16) as to limitations on benefits and contributions in Code section 415 and the requirements of Code section 401(a)(10)(B) as to the top-heavy plan requirements in Code section 416; (2) with respect to whether a money purchase or target benefit plan’s normal retirement age which is earlier than age 62 satisfies the requirements of section 401(a)-1(b)(2) of the Income Tax Regulations; (3) that the plan is a multiple employer plan; (4) whether there has been a partial termination; and (5) to comply with published procedures of the Service (e.g. minimum funding waiver request). The employer may request a determination letter in these circumstances by filing an application with Employee Plans Determinations on Form 5300, without restating for the Cumulative List in effect when the application is filed.

If you, the master or prototype sponsor, have any questions concerning the IRS processing of this case, please call the above telephone number. This number is only for use of the sponsor. Individual participants and/or adopting employers with questions concerning the plan should contact the master or prototype sponsor. The plan’s adoption agreement must include the sponsor’s address and telephone number for inquiries by adopting employers.

If you write to the IRS regarding this plan, please provide your telephone number and the most convenient time for us to call in case we need more information. Whether you call or write, please refer to the Letter Serial Number and File Folder Number shown in the heading of this letter.

You should keep this letter as a permanent record. Please notify us if you modify or discontinue sponsorship of this plan.

Sincerely Yours,

Andrew E. Zuckerman

Director, Employee Plans Rulings and Agreements

Letter 4334

Exhibit 23.1

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement on Form S-8 of Viasat, Inc. of our report dated May 29, 2019 relating to the financial statements, financial statement schedule and the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, which appears in Viasat, Inc.’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended March 31, 2019.

May 29, 2019

Exhibit 23.3

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in this registration statement on Form S-8 of our report dated September 19, 2018 relating to the financial statements and supplemental schedule, which appears in Viasat, Inc. 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan’s annual report on Form 11-K for the year ended March 31, 2018.