Qurate Retail, Inc. Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Basis of Presentation

Basis of Presentation	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2022
Basis of Presentation
Basis of Presentation	(1) Basis of Presentation The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Qurate Retail, Inc. (or “Liberty”) and its controlled subsidiaries (collectively, "Qurate Retail," the "Company," “we,” “us,” and “our”) unless the context otherwise requires). All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. Qurate Retail is made up of wholly-owned subsidiaries QVC, Inc. (“QVC”), Cornerstone Brands, Inc. (“CBI”), Zulily, LLC (“Zulily”), and other cost and equity method investments, and is primarily engaged in the video and online commerce industries in North America, Europe and Asia. Qurate Retail and GCI Liberty, Inc. (“GCI Liberty”) entered into a tax sharing agreement in connection with a split-off transaction that occurred in the first quarter of 2018 (the “GCI Liberty Split-Off”). Pursuant to that tax sharing agreement, GCI Liberty agreed to indemnify Qurate Retail for taxes and tax-related losses resulting from the GCI Liberty Split-Off to the extent such taxes or tax-related losses (i) result primarily from, individually or in the aggregate, the breach of certain restrictive covenants made by GCI Liberty (applicable to actions or failures to act by GCI Liberty and its subsidiaries following the completion of the GCI Liberty Split-Off), or (ii) result from Section 355(e) of the Internal Revenue Code applying to the GCI Liberty Split-Off as a result of the GCI Liberty Split-Off being part of a plan (or series of related transactions) pursuant to which one or more persons acquire, directly or indirectly, a 50-percent or greater interest (measured by vote or value) in the stock of GCI Liberty (or any successor corporation). Following a merger between Liberty Broadband Corporation (“Liberty Broadband”) and GCI Liberty, Liberty Broadband has assumed the tax sharing agreement. Qurate Retail had a tax sharing payable of approximately $18 million and $96 million as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively, included in Other liabilities in the consolidated balance sheets. Qurate Retail and Liberty Media Corporation (“LMC”) entered into certain agreements in order to govern certain of the ongoing relationships between the two companies. These agreements include a reorganization agreement, a services agreement (the “Services Agreement”) and a facilities sharing agreement (the “Facilities Sharing Agreement”). Pursuant to the Services Agreement, LMC provides Qurate Retail with general and administrative services including legal, tax, accounting, treasury and investor relations support. See below for a description of an amendment to the Services Agreement entered into in December 2019. Qurate Retail reimburses LMC for direct, out-of-pocket expenses incurred by LMC in providing these services and for Qurate Retail's allocable portion of costs associated with any shared services or personnel based on an estimated percentage of time spent providing services to Qurate Retail. Under the Facilities Sharing Agreement, Qurate Retail shares office space with LMC and related amenities at LMC's corporate headquarters. Under these various agreements approximately $7 million, $10 million and $9 million of these allocated expenses were reimbursable from Qurate Retail to LMC for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively. In December 2019, the Company entered into an amendment to the Services Agreement in connection with LMC’s entry into a new employment arrangement with Gregory B. Maffei, the Company’s Chairman of the Board of Directors (the “Chairman”). Under the amended Services Agreement, components of his compensation would either be paid directly to him by each of the Company, Liberty TripAdvisor Holdings, Inc. (“Liberty TripAdvisor”), and Liberty Broadband (collectively, the “Service Companies”) or reimbursed to LMC, in each case, based on allocations among LMC and the Service Companies set forth in the amended Services Agreement. This allocation percentage will be determined based on a combination of (1) relative market capitalizations, weighted 50%, and (2) a blended average of historical time allocation on a Liberty Media-wide and CEO basis, weighted 50%, in each case, absent agreement to the contrary by LMC and the Service Companies in consultation with the CEO. The allocation percentage will then be adjusted annually and following certain events. For the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, the allocation percentage for the Company was 13% and 17%. The amended Services Agreement provides for a five year employment term which began on January 1, 2020 and ends December 31, 2024, with an aggregate annual base salary of $3 million (with no contracted increase), an aggregate one-time cash commitment bonus of $5 million (paid in December 2019), an aggregate annual target cash performance bonus of $17 million, aggregate annual equity awards of $17.5 million and aggregate equity awards granted in connection with his entry into his new agreement of $90 million (the “upfront awards”). A portion of the grants made to our Chairman during the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 related to our Company’s allocable portion of these upfront awards. Management is not presently aware of any events or circumstances arising from the COVID-19 pandemic that would require the Company to update the estimates, judgments or revise the carrying value of our assets or liabilities. Management's estimates may change, however, as new events occur and additional information is obtained, and any such changes will be recognized in the consolidated financial statements. Actual results could differ from estimates, and any such differences may be material to our financial statements. On August 21, 2020, Qurate Retail announced that an authorized committee of its Board of Directors had declared a special dividend (the “Special Dividend”) on each outstanding share of its Series A and Series B common stock consisting of (i) cash in the amount of $1.50 per common share, for an aggregate cash dividend of approximately $626 million, and (ii) 0.03 shares of newly issued 8.0% Series A Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Preferred Stock”), having an initial liquidation price of $100 per share of Preferred Stock, with cash paid in lieu of fractional shares. The distribution ratio for the Preferred Stock portion of the Special Dividend was equivalent to $3.00 in initial liquidation preference per common share, for an aggregate issuance of approximately $1.3 billion aggregate liquidation preference. The dividend was distributed on September 14, 2020 to holders of record of Qurate Retail’s Series A and Series B common stock. Holders of the Preferred Stock are entitled to receive quarterly cash dividends at a fixed rate of 8.0% per year on a cumulative basis, beginning December 15, 2020 and thereafter on each of March 15, June 15, September 15 and December 15 during the term. The Preferred Stock is non-voting, except in limited circumstances as required by law, and subject to a mandatory redemption on March 15, 2031. On November 20, 2020, Qurate Retail announced that an authorized committee of its board of directors (the “Board of Directors”) declared a special cash dividend (the “December Special Dividend”) in the amount of $1.50 per common share, for an aggregate dividend of approximately $625 million, payable in cash on December 7, 2020 to stockholders of record of the Company’s Series A and Series B common stock at the close of business on November 30, 2020. On November 4, 2021, Qurate Retail announced that its Board of Directors declared a special cash dividend (the “November Special Dividend”) in the amount of $1.25 per common share for an aggregate cash dividend of approximately $488 million based on shares outstanding as of October 31, 2021. The dividend was payable on November 22, 2021 to stockholders of record of Qurate Retail’s Series A and Series B common stock as of the close of business on November 15, 2021. During the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company recognized a gain as a result of the sale of one of its alternative energy investments. The Company received total cash consideration of $272 million and recorded a gain of $224 million on the sale. Revision of Prior Period Financial Information The Company has revised its consolidated financial statements and related notes included herein to correct immaterial errors in depreciation expense reported in periods prior to 2020, along with deferred tax adjustments reported in 2020 and periods prior to 2020. Revisions have been reflected in the comparative 2021 financial statements to reduce property and equipment, net by $47 million and reduce deferred income tax liabilities by $3 million, and revisions have been reflected in the comparative 2020 financial statements to reduce the opening January 1, 2020 retained earnings balance by $36 million and reduce the deferred tax benefit by $8 million.

Basis of Presentation

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2022

(1) Basis of Presentation

The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Qurate Retail, Inc. (or “Liberty”) and its controlled subsidiaries (collectively, "Qurate Retail," the "Company," “we,” “us,” and “our”) unless the context otherwise requires). All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. Qurate Retail is made up of wholly-owned subsidiaries QVC, Inc. (“QVC”), Cornerstone Brands, Inc. (“CBI”), Zulily, LLC (“Zulily”), and other cost and equity method investments, and is primarily engaged in the video and online commerce industries in North America, Europe and Asia.

Qurate Retail and GCI Liberty, Inc. (“GCI Liberty”) entered into a tax sharing agreement in connection with a split-off transaction that occurred in the first quarter of 2018 (the “GCI Liberty Split-Off”). Pursuant to that tax sharing agreement, GCI Liberty agreed to indemnify Qurate Retail for taxes and tax-related losses resulting from the GCI Liberty Split-Off to the extent such taxes or tax-related losses (i) result primarily from, individually or in the aggregate, the breach of certain restrictive covenants made by GCI Liberty (applicable to actions or failures to act by GCI Liberty and its subsidiaries following the completion of the GCI Liberty Split-Off), or (ii) result from Section 355(e) of the Internal Revenue Code applying to the GCI Liberty Split-Off as a result of the GCI Liberty Split-Off being part of a plan (or series of related transactions) pursuant to which one or more persons acquire, directly or indirectly, a 50-percent or greater interest (measured by vote or value) in the stock of GCI Liberty (or any successor corporation). Following a merger between Liberty Broadband Corporation (“Liberty Broadband”) and GCI Liberty, Liberty Broadband has assumed the tax sharing agreement. Qurate Retail had a tax sharing payable of approximately $18 million and $96 million as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively, included in Other liabilities in the consolidated balance sheets.

Qurate Retail and Liberty Media Corporation (“LMC”) entered into certain agreements in order to govern certain of the ongoing relationships between the two companies. These agreements include a reorganization agreement, a services agreement (the “Services Agreement”) and a facilities sharing agreement (the “Facilities Sharing Agreement”). Pursuant to the Services Agreement, LMC provides Qurate Retail with general and administrative services including legal, tax, accounting, treasury and investor relations support. See below for a description of an amendment to the Services Agreement entered into in December 2019. Qurate Retail reimburses LMC for direct, out-of-pocket expenses incurred by LMC in providing these services and for Qurate Retail's allocable portion of costs associated with any shared services or personnel based on an estimated percentage of time spent providing services to Qurate Retail. Under the Facilities Sharing Agreement, Qurate Retail shares office space with LMC and related amenities at LMC's corporate headquarters. Under these various agreements approximately $7 million, $10 million and $9 million of these allocated expenses were reimbursable from Qurate Retail to LMC for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively.

In December 2019, the Company entered into an amendment to the Services Agreement in connection with LMC’s entry into a new employment arrangement with Gregory B. Maffei, the Company’s Chairman of the Board of Directors (the “Chairman”). Under the amended Services Agreement, components of his compensation would either be paid directly to him by each of the Company, Liberty TripAdvisor Holdings, Inc. (“Liberty TripAdvisor”), and Liberty Broadband (collectively, the “Service Companies”) or reimbursed to LMC, in each case, based on allocations among LMC and the Service Companies set forth in the amended Services Agreement. This allocation percentage will be determined based on a combination of (1) relative market capitalizations, weighted 50%, and (2) a blended average of historical time allocation on a Liberty Media-wide and CEO basis, weighted 50%, in each case, absent agreement to the contrary by LMC and the Service Companies in consultation with the CEO. The allocation percentage will then be adjusted annually and following certain events. For the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, the allocation percentage for the Company was 13% and 17%. The amended Services Agreement provides for a five year employment term which began on January 1, 2020 and ends December 31, 2024, with an aggregate annual base salary of $3 million (with no contracted increase), an aggregate one-time cash commitment bonus of $5 million (paid in December 2019), an aggregate annual target cash performance

bonus of $17 million, aggregate annual equity awards of $17.5 million and aggregate equity awards granted in connection with his entry into his new agreement of $90 million (the “upfront awards”). A portion of the grants made to our Chairman during the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 related to our Company’s allocable portion of these upfront awards.

Management is not presently aware of any events or circumstances arising from the COVID-19 pandemic that would require the Company to update the estimates, judgments or revise the carrying value of our assets or liabilities. Management's estimates may change, however, as new events occur and additional information is obtained, and any such changes will be recognized in the consolidated financial statements. Actual results could differ from estimates, and any such differences may be material to our financial statements.

On August 21, 2020, Qurate Retail announced that an authorized committee of its Board of Directors had declared a special dividend (the “Special Dividend”) on each outstanding share of its Series A and Series B common stock consisting of (i) cash in the amount of $1.50 per common share, for an aggregate cash dividend of approximately $626 million, and (ii) 0.03 shares of newly issued 8.0% Series A Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Preferred Stock”), having an initial liquidation price of $100 per share of Preferred Stock, with cash paid in lieu of fractional shares. The distribution ratio for the Preferred Stock portion of the Special Dividend was equivalent to $3.00 in initial liquidation preference per common share, for an aggregate issuance of approximately $1.3 billion aggregate liquidation preference. The dividend was distributed on September 14, 2020 to holders of record of Qurate Retail’s Series A and Series B common stock. Holders of the Preferred Stock are entitled to receive quarterly cash dividends at a fixed rate of 8.0% per year on a cumulative basis, beginning December 15, 2020 and thereafter on each of March 15, June 15, September 15 and December 15 during the term. The Preferred Stock is non-voting, except in limited circumstances as required by law, and subject to a mandatory redemption on March 15, 2031.

On November 20, 2020, Qurate Retail announced that an authorized committee of its board of directors (the “Board of Directors”) declared a special cash dividend (the “December Special Dividend”) in the amount of $1.50 per common share, for an aggregate dividend of approximately $625 million, payable in cash on December 7, 2020 to stockholders of record of the Company’s Series A and Series B common stock at the close of business on November 30, 2020.

On November 4, 2021, Qurate Retail announced that its Board of Directors declared a special cash dividend (the “November Special Dividend”) in the amount of $1.25 per common share for an aggregate cash dividend of approximately $488 million based on shares outstanding as of October 31, 2021. The dividend was payable on November 22, 2021 to stockholders of record of Qurate Retail’s Series A and Series B common stock as of the close of business on November 15, 2021.

During the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company recognized a gain as a result of the sale of one of its alternative energy investments. The Company received total cash consideration of $272 million and recorded a gain of $224 million on the sale.

Revision of Prior Period Financial Information

The Company has revised its consolidated financial statements and related notes included herein to correct immaterial errors in depreciation expense reported in periods prior to 2020, along with deferred tax adjustments reported in 2020 and periods prior to 2020. Revisions have been reflected in the comparative 2021 financial statements to reduce property and equipment, net by $47 million and reduce deferred income tax liabilities by $3 million, and revisions have been reflected in the comparative 2020 financial statements to reduce the opening January 1, 2020 retained earnings balance by $36 million and reduce the deferred tax benefit by $8 million.