Quarterly report [Sections 13 or 15(d)]

Basis of Presentation

v3.25.1
Basis of Presentation
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2025
Basis of Presentation [Abstract]  
Basis of Accounting Basis of Presentation
The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of QVC, Inc. and its controlled subsidiaries (collectively, "QVC," the "Company," “us,” “we,” or “our” unless the context otherwise requires). All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. QVC is a retailer of a wide range of consumer products, which are marketed and sold primarily by merchandise-focused televised shopping programs, the internet and mobile applications.
In the United States ("U.S."), QVC's televised shopping programs, including live and recorded content, are distributed across multiple channels nationally on a full-time basis, including QVC, QVC2, QVC3, HSN and HSN2. The Company's U.S. programming is also available on QVC.com and HSN.com, which we refer to as our "U.S. websites"; virtual multichannel video programming distributors (including Hulu + Live TV, DirecTV Stream and YouTube TV); applications via streaming video; Facebook Live, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Xfinity Flex and Samsung TV Plus; mobile applications; social media pages, and over-the-air broadcasters (collectively, our "Digital Platforms").
QVC's Digital Platforms enable consumers to purchase goods offered on our televised programming, along with a wide assortment of products that are available only on our U.S. websites. Our other Digital Platforms (including our mobile applications, social media pages and others) are natural extensions of our business model, allowing customers to engage in our shopping experience wherever they are, with live or on-demand content customized to the device they are using. In addition to offering video content, our U.S. websites allow shoppers to browse, research, compare and perform targeted searches for products, read customer reviews, control the order-entry process and conveniently access their account.
Internationally, QVC's televised shopping programs, including live and recorded content, are distributed to households primarily in Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom ("U.K."), and Italy. In some of the countries where QVC operates, QVC's televised shopping programs are distributed across multiple QVC channels: QVC Style and QVC2 in Germany and QVC Beauty, QVC Extra and QVC Style in the U.K. Similar to the U.S., our international businesses also engage customers via websites, mobile applications and social media pages. QVC's international business employs product sourcing teams who select products tailored to the interests of each local market.
The Company's Japanese operations ("QVC-Japan") are conducted through a joint venture with Mitsui & Co. LTD. ("Mitsui") QVC-Japan is owned 60% by the Company and 40% by Mitsui. The Company and Mitsui share in all profits and losses based on their respective ownership interests. QVC-Japan paid dividends to Mitsui of $11 million during each of the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024.
The Company is an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of QVC Group, Inc., ("QVC Group") (Nasdaq: QVCGA, QVCGB and QVCGP), which also owns Cornerstone Brands, Inc. ("CBI"), as well as other minority investments.
During each of the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024, QVC and CBI engaged in multiple transactions relating to personnel and business advisory services. QVC allocated expenses of $6 million to CBI for each of the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024. CBI allocated expenses of $1 million to QVC for each of the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024.
On December 30, 2020, the Company and Liberty Interactive LLC ("LIC") completed an internal realignment of the Company's global finance structure that resulted in a common control transaction with QVC Group. As part of the common control transaction, LIC issued a promissory note (“LIC Note”) to a subsidiary of the Company with an initial face amount of $1.8 billion, a stated interest rate of 0.48% and a maturity of December 29, 2029. Interest on the LIC Note is paid annually QVC recorded $2 million of related party interest income for each of the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024 included in interest expense, net in the condensed consolidated statement of operations.
The accompanying (a) condensed consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2024, which has been derived from audited financial statements, and (b) the interim unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("U.S. GAAP") for interim financial information and the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X as promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. GAAP for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) considered necessary for a fair presentation of the results for such periods have been included. The Company’s business is seasonal due to a higher volume of sales in the fourth calendar quarter related to year-end holiday shopping. These condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto contained in QVC's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024. Certain prior period balances were reclassified to conform to the current year's presentation.
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Estimates include, but are not limited to, retail-related adjustments and allowances, depreciable lives of fixed assets and internally developed software, valuation of acquired intangible assets and goodwill and income taxes.