Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Information About Liberty's Operating Segments

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Information About Liberty's Operating Segments
 3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2014
Information About Liberty's Operating Segments  
Information About Liberty's Operating Segments
Information About Liberty's Operating Segments
Liberty, through its ownership interests in subsidiaries and other companies, is primarily engaged in the video and on-line commerce industries. Liberty identifies its reportable segments as (A) those consolidated subsidiaries that represent 10% or more of its consolidated annual revenue, annual Adjusted OIBDA or total assets and (B) those equity method affiliates whose share of earnings represent 10% or more of Liberty's annual pre-tax earnings.
Liberty evaluates performance and makes decisions about allocating resources to its operating segments based on financial measures such as revenue, Adjusted OIBDA, gross margin, average sales price per unit, number of units shipped and revenue or sales per customer equivalent. In addition, Liberty reviews nonfinancial measures such as unique website visitors, conversion rates and active customers, as appropriate.
Liberty defines Adjusted OIBDA as revenue less cost of sales, operating expenses, and selling, general and administrative expenses excluding all stock-based compensation. Liberty believes this measure is an important indicator of the operational strength and performance of its businesses, including each business's ability to service debt and fund capital expenditures. In addition, this measure allows management to view operating results and perform analytical comparisons and benchmarking between businesses and identify strategies to improve performance. This measure of performance excludes depreciation and amortization, stock-based compensation and restructuring and impairment charges that are included in the measurement of operating income pursuant to GAAP. Accordingly, Adjusted OIBDA should be considered in addition to, but not as a substitute for, operating income, net income, cash flow provided by operating activities and other measures of financial performance prepared in accordance with GAAP. Liberty generally accounts for intersegment sales and transfers as if the sales or transfers were to third parties, that is, at current prices.
For the three months ended March 31, 2014, Liberty has identified the following consolidated subsidiaries as its reportable segments:
•
QVC - consolidated subsidiary that markets and sells a wide variety of consumer products in the United States and several foreign countries, primarily by means of its televised shopping programs and via the Internet through its domestic and international websites and mobile applications.
•
TripAdvisor, Inc. - a consolidated subsidiary that is an online travel research company that empowers users to plan and maximize their travel experience.
Additionally, for presentation purposes, Liberty is providing financial information of the E-commerce businesses on an aggregated basis. The consolidated E-commerce businesses do not contribute significantly to the overall operations of Liberty on an individual basis; however, Liberty believes that on an aggregated basis they provide relevant information for users of these financial statements. While these businesses may not meet the aggregation criteria under relevant accounting literature Liberty believes the information is relevant and helpful for a more complete understanding of the consolidated results.
•
E-commerce - the aggregation of certain consolidated subsidiaries that market and sell a wide variety of consumer products via the Internet. Categories of consumer products include perishable and personal gift offerings (Provide Commerce, Inc.), active lifestyle gear and clothing (Backcountry.com, Inc.), fitness and health goods (Bodybuilding.com, LLC), celebration offerings from invitations to costumes (Celebrate Interactive Holdings LLC) and a drop-ship solutions company (CommerceHub).
Liberty's operating segments are strategic business units that offer different products and services. They are managed separately because each segment requires different technologies, distribution channels and marketing strategies. The accounting policies of the segments that are also consolidated subsidiaries are the same as those described in the Company's summary of significant accounting policies in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013.
Performance Measures
 
Three months ended March 31,
 
2014
 
2013
 
Revenue
 
Adjusted
OIBDA
 
Revenue
 
Adjusted
OIBDA
 
amounts in millions
Interactive Group
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
QVC
$
1,986

 
412

 
1,974

 
404

E-commerce
461

 
23

 
460

 
39

Corporate and other
—

 
(4
)
 
—

 
(6
)
Total Interactive Group
2,447

 
431

 
2,434

 
437

Ventures Group
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
TripAdvisor, Inc.
281

 
122

 
230

 
109

Corporate and other
—

 
(3
)
 
—

 
(3
)
Total Ventures Group
281

 
119

 
230

 
106

Consolidated Liberty
$
2,728

 
550

 
2,664

 
543


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 










Other Information
 
March 31, 2014
 
Total
assets
 
Investments
in
affiliates
 
Capital
expenditures
 
amounts in millions
Interactive Group
 
 
 
 
 
QVC
$
12,898

 
51

 
29

E-commerce
1,212

 
—

 
12

Corporate and other
470

 
311

 
—

Total Interactive Group
14,580

 
362

 
41

Ventures Group
 
 
 
 
 
TripAdvisor
7,151

 
—

 
47

Corporate and other
3,090

 
882

 
—

Total Ventures Group
10,241

 
882

 
47

Inter-group eliminations
(159
)
 
—

 
—

Consolidated Liberty
$
24,662

 
1,244

 
88


The following table provides a reconciliation of segment Adjusted OIBDA to earnings (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes:
 
Three months ended
March 31,
 
2014
 
2013
 
amounts in millions
Consolidated segment Adjusted OIBDA
$
550

 
543

  Stock-based compensation
(42
)
 
(42
)
  Depreciation and amortization
(232
)
 
(230
)
  Interest expense
(99
)
 
(111
)
  Share of earnings (loss) of affiliates, net
(2
)
 
(11
)
  Realized and unrealized gains (losses) on financial instruments, net
(25
)
 
(73
)
  Other, net
8

 
(38
)
Earnings (loss) before income taxes
$
158

 
38