Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Long-Term Debt and Interest Rate Swap Arrangements (Narrative) (Details)

v2.4.1.9
Long-Term Debt and Interest Rate Swap Arrangements (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)
 12 Months Ended 0 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Apr. 17, 2013
Mar. 18, 2013
Mar. 01, 2013
Mar. 23, 2010
Mar. 18, 2014
Sep. 08, 2014
Sep. 25, 2009
Jul. 02, 2012
Aug. 21, 2014
Debt Instrument [Line Items]                        
Line of credit facility maximum borrowing capacity           $ 2,000,000,000us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityMaximumBorrowingCapacity            
Line of credit facility standby letter of credit           250,000,000qvc_LineOfCreditFacilityStandbyLetterOfCredit            
Line of credit facility uncommitted loan           1,000,000,000qvc_LineOfCreditFacilityUncommittedLoan            
Debt instrument lower range of basis spread on variable rate           0.25%qvc_DebtInstrumentLowerRangeOfBasisSpreadOnVariableRate            
Debt instrument higher range of basis spread on variable rate           2.00%qvc_DebtInstrumentHigherRangeOfBasisSpreadOnVariableRate            
Line of credit facility remaining borrowing capacity 1,500,000,000us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityRemainingBorrowingCapacity                      
Line of credit facility interest rate at period end 2.00%us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityInterestRateAtPeriodEnd                      
Derivative, notional amount           3,100,000,000invest_DerivativeNotionalAmount            
Loss on extinguishment of debt (48,000,000)us-gaap_GainsLossesOnExtinguishmentOfDebt (57,000,000)us-gaap_GainsLossesOnExtinguishmentOfDebt 0us-gaap_GainsLossesOnExtinguishmentOfDebt                  
Debt weighted average interest rate 4.70%us-gaap_DebtWeightedAverageInterestRate                      
Letters of credit outstanding amount 18,000,000us-gaap_LettersOfCreditOutstandingAmount 26,000,000us-gaap_LettersOfCreditOutstandingAmount                    
7.125% Senior Secured Notes [Member]                        
Debt Instrument [Line Items]                        
Debt instrument interest rate stated percentage             7.125%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= qvc_A7.125SeniorSecuredNotesMember 		         
Extinguishment of debt amount       376,000,000us-gaap_ExtinguishmentOfDebtAmount
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= qvc_A7.125SeniorSecuredNotesMember 		124,000,000us-gaap_ExtinguishmentOfDebtAmount
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= qvc_A7.125SeniorSecuredNotesMember 		             
Total debt             500,000,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= qvc_A7.125SeniorSecuredNotesMember 		         
Repurchase price of individual bonds including premium       1,035.63qvc_DebtInstrumentRepurchasePriceIncludingPremium
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= qvc_A7.125SeniorSecuredNotesMember 		1,039.40qvc_DebtInstrumentRepurchasePriceIncludingPremium
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= qvc_A7.125SeniorSecuredNotesMember 		             
Face value of individual bonds repurchased       1,000qvc_DebtInsturmentFaceValueOfIndividualBondsRepurchased
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= qvc_A7.125SeniorSecuredNotesMember 		1,000qvc_DebtInsturmentFaceValueOfIndividualBondsRepurchased
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= qvc_A7.125SeniorSecuredNotesMember 		             
3.125% Senior Secured Notes due 2019, net of original issue discount                        
Debt Instrument [Line Items]                        
Debt instrument interest rate stated percentage 3.125%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= qvc_A3.125SeniorSecuredNotesMember 		            3.125%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= qvc_A3.125SeniorSecuredNotesMember 		       
Total debt               400,000,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= qvc_A3.125SeniorSecuredNotesMember 		       
Debt issuance price percentage               99.828%qvc_DebtIssuancePricePercentage
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= qvc_A3.125SeniorSecuredNotesMember 		       
7.5% Senior Secured Notes due 2019, net of original issue discount                        
Debt Instrument [Line Items]                        
Debt instrument interest rate stated percentage 7.50%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= qvc_A75SeniorSecuredNotesMember 		                7.50%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= qvc_A75SeniorSecuredNotesMember 		   
Extinguishment of debt amount         231,000,000us-gaap_ExtinguishmentOfDebtAmount
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= qvc_A75SeniorSecuredNotesMember 		             
Total debt                   1,000,000,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= qvc_A75SeniorSecuredNotesMember 		   
Repurchase price of individual bonds including premium         1,120.00qvc_DebtInstrumentRepurchasePriceIncludingPremium
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= qvc_A75SeniorSecuredNotesMember 		      1,042.05qvc_DebtInstrumentRepurchasePriceIncludingPremium
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= qvc_A75SeniorSecuredNotesMember 		     
Face value of individual bonds repurchased         1,000qvc_DebtInsturmentFaceValueOfIndividualBondsRepurchased
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= qvc_A75SeniorSecuredNotesMember 		      1,000qvc_DebtInsturmentFaceValueOfIndividualBondsRepurchased
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= qvc_A75SeniorSecuredNotesMember 		     
Debt issuance price percentage                   98.278%qvc_DebtIssuancePricePercentage
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= qvc_A75SeniorSecuredNotesMember 		   
7.375% Senior Secured Notes due 2020                        
Debt Instrument [Line Items]                        
Debt instrument interest rate stated percentage 7.375%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= qvc_A7375SeniorSecuredNotesMember 		          7.375%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= qvc_A7375SeniorSecuredNotesMember 		         
Total debt             500,000,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= qvc_A7375SeniorSecuredNotesMember 		         
5.125% Senior Secured Notes due 2022                        
Debt Instrument [Line Items]                        
Debt instrument interest rate stated percentage 5.125%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= qvc_A5125SeniorSecuredNotesMember 		                  5.125%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= qvc_A5125SeniorSecuredNotesMember 		 
Total debt                     500,000,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= qvc_A5125SeniorSecuredNotesMember 		 
4.375% Senior Secured Notes due 2023, net of original issue discount                        
Debt Instrument [Line Items]                        
Debt instrument interest rate stated percentage 4.375%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= qvc_A4375SeniorSecuredNotesMember 		      4.375%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= qvc_A4375SeniorSecuredNotesMember 		             
Total debt         750,000,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= qvc_A4375SeniorSecuredNotesMember 		             
Debt issuance price percentage         99.968%qvc_DebtIssuancePricePercentage
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= qvc_A4375SeniorSecuredNotesMember 		             
4.85% Senior Secured Notes due 2024, net of original issue discount                        
Debt Instrument [Line Items]                        
Debt instrument interest rate stated percentage 4.85%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= qvc_A4.85SeniorSecuredNotesMember 		            4.85%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= qvc_A4.85SeniorSecuredNotesMember 		       
Total debt               600,000,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= qvc_A4.85SeniorSecuredNotesMember 		       
Debt issuance price percentage               99.927%qvc_DebtIssuancePricePercentage
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= qvc_A4.85SeniorSecuredNotesMember 		       
4.45% Senior Secured Notes due 2025, net of original issue discount                        
Debt Instrument [Line Items]                        
Debt instrument interest rate stated percentage 4.45%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= qvc_A4.45SeniorSecuredNotesMember 		                    4.45%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= qvc_A4.45SeniorSecuredNotesMember
Total debt                       600,000,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= qvc_A4.45SeniorSecuredNotesMember
Debt issuance price percentage                       99.86%qvc_DebtIssuancePricePercentage
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= qvc_A4.45SeniorSecuredNotesMember
5.45% Senior Secured Notes due 2034, net of original issue discount                        
Debt Instrument [Line Items]                        
Debt instrument interest rate stated percentage 5.45%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= qvc_A5.45SeniorSecuredNotesMember 		                    5.45%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= qvc_A5.45SeniorSecuredNotesMember
Total debt                       400,000,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= qvc_A5.45SeniorSecuredNotesMember
Debt issuance price percentage                       99.784%qvc_DebtIssuancePricePercentage
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= qvc_A5.45SeniorSecuredNotesMember
5.95% Senior Secured Notes due 2043, net of original issue discount                        
Debt Instrument [Line Items]                        
Debt instrument interest rate stated percentage 5.95%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= qvc_A5950SeniorSecuredNotesMember 		      5.95%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= qvc_A5950SeniorSecuredNotesMember 		             
Total debt         $ 300,000,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= qvc_A5950SeniorSecuredNotesMember 		             
Debt issuance price percentage         99.973%qvc_DebtIssuancePricePercentage
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= qvc_A5950SeniorSecuredNotesMember