Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Long-Term Debt

v3.20.4
Long-Term Debt
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2020
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]  
Debt Disclosure [Text Block] Long-Term Debt and Finance Lease Obligations
Long-term debt and finance lease obligations consisted of the following:
December 31,
(in millions) 2020 2019
3.5% Exchangeable Senior Debentures due 2031
$ 393  — 
5.125% Senior Secured Notes due 2022 —  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  — 
4.375% Senior Secured Notes due 2028 500  — 
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 —  1,105 
Finance lease obligations (note 9) 168  181 
Less debt issuance costs, net (50) (40)
Total debt and finance lease obligations 4,959  5,119 
Less current portion (410) (18)
Long-term portion of debt and finance lease obligations $ 4,549  5,101 
Exchangeable Senior Debentures
3.5% Exchangeable Senior Debentures due 2031
As part of the common control transaction with Qurate Retail that was completed in December 2020, QVC Global, a subsidiary of the Company, became the primary co-obligor of the MSI Exchangeables at its carrying value of $397 million (see note 2(r)) with an outstanding principal of $218 million.
Each $1,000 debenture of the MSI Exchangeables is exchangeable at the holder's option for the value of 5.2598 shares of Motorola Solutions, Inc. (“MSI”). The remaining exchange value is payable, at the Company’s option, in cash or MSI stock or a combination thereof. The Company, at its option, may redeem the debentures, in whole or in part, for cash generally equal to the adjusted principal amount of the debentures plus accrued interest. As a result of various principal payments made to holders of the MSI Exchangeables, the adjusted principal amount of each $1,000 debenture is $497 and the total principal outstanding is $218 million as of December 31, 2020. Interest on the MSI Exchangeables is payable semi-annually based on the date of issuance. At maturity, the MSI Exchangeables are payable in cash.
The Company has elected to account for its MSI Exchangeables using the fair value option. Accordingly, changes in the fair value of these instruments are recognized as losses on financial instruments in the statements of operations and in other comprehensive income as it relates to instrument specific credit risk on the consolidated statements of comprehensive income.
The Company has classified for financial reporting purposes the MSI Exchangeables as a current liability as the MSI Exchangeables are exchangeable at the option of the holder at any time.
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 interest on 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. The 3.125% Senior Secured Notes due 2019 were repaid at maturity in April 2019.
6.375% Senior Secured Notes due 2067
On September 13, 2018, QVC completed a registered debt offering for $225 million of the 2067 Notes at par. QVC has the option to call the 2067 Notes after 5 years at par value, plus accrued and unpaid interest.
6.25% Senior Secured Notes due 2068
On November 26, 2019, QVC completed a registered debt offering for $435 million of the 2068 Notes at par. QVC granted an option for underwriters to purchase up to an additional $65 million of the 2068 Notes, which was exercised on December 6, 2019, bringing the aggregate principal borrowed to $500 million. QVC has the option to call the 2068 Notes after 5 years at par value, plus accrued and unpaid interest.
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.
4.375% Senior Secured Notes due 2028
On August 20, 2020, QVC completed a registered debt offering for $500 million of the 4.375% Senior Secured Notes due 2028 (the "2028 Notes") at par. Interest on the 2028 Notes will be paid semi-annually in March and September, with payments commencing on March 1, 2021.
In connection with the offering of the 2028 Notes, QVC completed a cash tender offer (the "Tender Offer") to purchase any and all of its outstanding 5.125% Senior Secured Notes due 2022 (the "2022 Notes"). QVC also issued a notice of redemption exercising its right to optionally redeem any of the 2022 Notes that remained outstanding following the Tender Offer. As a result of the Tender Offer and the redemption, the Company recorded a loss on extinguishment of debt in the consolidated statements of operations of $42 million for the year ended December 31, 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 (see note 14). 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 $2.93 billion available under the terms of the senior secured credit facility at December 31, 2020, including the portion available under the $400 million tranche on which Zulily may also borrow. There were no borrowings outstanding on the senior secured credit facility at December 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. In addition, 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 Zulily and 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.
Five Year Maturities
The annual principal maturities of QVC's debt, based on stated maturity dates, for each of the next five years are as follows:
(in millions) Debt (1)
2021 $
2022
2023 758 
2024 609 
2025 609 
(1) Amounts exclude finance lease obligations (see Note 9) and the issue discounts on the 4.375%, 4.45%, 4.85%, 5.45% and 5.95% Senior Secured Notes.
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 $3 million and less than $1 million as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively, 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 2020.

Changes in the fair value of the swaps are reflected in gains (losses) on financial instruments in the consolidated statements of operations.
Other Debt Related Information
QVC was in compliance with all of its debt covenants as of December 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 5.0% as of December 31, 2020.
As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, outstanding trade letters of credit totaled $13 million and $12 million, respectively.