Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Long-Term Debt

v3.20.1
Long-Term Debt
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2020
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]  
Debt disclosure
Long-Term Debt and Finance Lease Obligations
Long-term debt and finance lease obligations consisted of the following:
(in millions)
March 31, 2020

December 31, 2019

5.125% Senior Secured Notes due 2022
$
500

500

4.375% Senior Secured Notes due 2023, net of original issue discount
750

750

4.85% Senior Secured Notes due 2024, net of original issue discount
600

600

4.45% Senior Secured Notes due 2025, net of original issue discount
599

599

4.75% Senior Secured Notes due 2027
575


5.45% Senior Secured Notes due 2034, net of original issue discount
399

399

5.95% Senior Secured Notes due 2043, net of original issue discount
300

300

6.375% Senior Secured Notes due 2067
225

225

6.25% Senior Secured Notes due 2068
500

500

Senior secured credit facility
350

1,105

Finance lease obligations
174

181

Less debt issuance costs, net
(47
)
(40
)
Total debt and finance lease obligations
4,925

5,119

Less current portion
(17
)
(18
)
Long-term portion of debt and finance lease obligations
$
4,908

5,101


Senior Secured Notes
All of QVC's senior secured notes are secured by the capital stock of QVC and certain of its subsidiaries and have equal priority to the senior secured credit facility. The interest on QVC's senior secured notes is payable semi-annually with the exception of the 6.375% Senior Secured Notes due 2067 (the "2067 Notes") and the 6.25% Senior Secured Notes due 2068 (the "2068 Notes"), which is payable quarterly.
4.75% Senior Secured Notes due 2027
On February 4, 2020, QVC completed a registered debt offering for $575 million of the 4.75% Senior Secured Notes due 2027 (the "2027 Notes") at par. Interest on the 2027 Notes will be paid semi-annually in February and August, with payments commencing on August 15, 2020.
Senior Secured Credit Facility
On December 31, 2018, QVC entered into the Fourth Amended and Restated Credit Agreement with Zulily as borrowers (collectively, the “Borrowers”) which is a multi-currency facility that provides for a $2.95 billion revolving credit facility with a $450 million sub-limit for standby letters of credit and $1.5 billion of uncommitted incremental revolving loan commitments or incremental term loans. The Fourth Amended and Restated Credit Agreement includes a $400 million tranche that may be borrowed by the Company or Zulily with a $50 million sub-limit for standby letters of credit. The remaining $2.55 billion and any incremental loans may be borrowed only by the Company. Borrowings that are alternate base rate loans will bear interest at a per annum rate equal to the base rate plus a margin that varies between 0.25% and 0.75% depending on the Borrowers’ combined ratio of Consolidated Total Debt to Consolidated EBITDA (the “Combined Consolidated Leverage Ratio”). Borrowings that are London Interbank Offered Rate ("LIBOR") loans will bear interest at a per annum rate equal to the applicable LIBOR rate plus a margin that varies between 1.25% and 1.75% depending on the Borrowers’ Combined Consolidated Leverage Ratio. Each loan may be prepaid at any time and from time to time without penalty other than customary breakage costs. No mandatory prepayments will be required other than when borrowings and letter of credit usage exceed availability; provided that, if Zulily ceases to be controlled by Qurate Retail, all of its loans must be repaid and its letters of credit cash collateralized. The facility matures on December 31, 2023. Payment of loans may be accelerated following certain customary events of default.
QVC had $2.40 billion available under the terms of the Fourth Amended and Restated Credit Agreement as of March 31, 2020, including the portion available under the $400 million tranche that Zulily may also borrow on. The interest rate on the Fourth Amended and Restated Credit Agreement was 2.1% as of March 31, 2020.
The payment and performance of the Borrowers’ obligations under the Fourth Amended and Restated Credit Agreement are guaranteed by each of QVC’s Material Domestic Subsidiaries (as defined in the Fourth Amended and Restated Credit Agreement). Further, the borrowings under the Fourth Amended and Restated Credit Agreement are secured, pari passu with QVC’s existing notes, by a pledge of all of QVC’s equity interests. The payment and performance of the Borrowers’ obligations with respect to the $400 million tranche available to both QVC and Zulily are also guaranteed by each of Zulily’s Material Domestic Subsidiaries (as defined in the Fourth Amended and Restated Credit Agreement), if any, and are secured by a pledge of all of Zulily’s equity interests.
The Fourth Amended and Restated Credit Agreement contains certain affirmative and negative covenants, including certain restrictions on the Company and Zulily and each of their respective restricted subsidiaries (subject to certain exceptions) with respect to, among other things: incurring additional indebtedness; creating liens on property or assets; making certain loans or investments; selling or disposing of assets; paying certain dividends and other restricted payments; dissolving, consolidating or merging; entering into certain transactions with affiliates; entering into sale or leaseback transactions; restricting subsidiary distributions; and limiting the Company’s consolidated leverage ratio and the Borrowers’ Combined Consolidated Leverage Ratio.
Interest Rate Swap Arrangements
During the year ended December 31, 2016, QVC entered into a three-year interest rate swap arrangement with a notional amount of $125 million to mitigate the interest rate risk associated with interest payments related to its variable rate debt. The swap arrangement did not qualify as a cash flow hedge under U.S. GAAP. The swap arrangement expired in June 2019. In July 2019, the Company entered into a three-year interest swap arrangement with a notional amount of $125 million. The swap arrangement did not qualify as a cash flow hedge under U.S. GAAP and the fair value of the swap instrument was in a net liability position of $4 million as of March 31, 2020, which was included in other long-term liabilities.
On December 31, 2018, QVC entered into a thirteen month interest rate swap arrangement that effectively converted $250 million of its variable rate bank credit facility to a fixed rate of 1.05%, which expired in January of 2020.

Changes in the fair value of the swaps are reflected in losses on financial instruments in the condensed consolidated statements of operations.
Other Debt Related Information
QVC was in compliance with all of its debt covenants as of March 31, 2020.
The weighted average interest rate applicable to all of the outstanding debt (excluding finance leases) prior to amortization of bond discounts and related debt issuance costs was 4.9% as of March 31, 2020.