Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Guarantor/Non-Guarantor Subsidiary Financial Information (Statement of Operations) (Details)

v3.8.0.1
Guarantor/Non-Guarantor Subsidiary Financial Information (Statement of Operations) (Details) - USD ($)
$ in Millions
 3 Months Ended 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2017
Sep. 30, 2017
Jun. 30, 2017
Mar. 31, 2017
Dec. 31, 2016
Sep. 30, 2016
Jun. 30, 2016
Mar. 31, 2016
Dec. 31, 2017
Dec. 31, 2016
Dec. 31, 2015
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]                      
Net revenue $ 2,817 $ 2,010 $ 1,979 $ 1,965 $ 2,658 $ 1,948 $ 2,063 $ 2,013 $ 8,771 $ 8,682 $ 8,743
Operating costs and expenses:                      
Cost of goods sold (exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown separately below)                 5,598 5,540 5,528
Operating                 601 606 607
Selling, general and administrative, including stock-based compensation                 706 728 745
Depreciation                 155 142 134
Amortization                 364 463 454
Operating expenses                 7,424 7,479 7,468
Operating income 496 274 306 271 404 231 307 261 1,347 1,203 1,275
Other (expense) income:                      
Equity in losses of investee                 (3) (6) (9)
Gains on financial instruments                 0 2 0
Interest expense, net                 (214) (210) (208)
Foreign currency gain (loss)                 (6) 38 14
Loss on extinguishment of debt                 0 0 (21)
Intercompany interest (expense) income                 0 0 0
Nonoperating (expense) income                 (223) (176) (224)
Income before income taxes                 1,124 1,027 1,051
Income tax expense                 (152) (385) (389)
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries, net of tax                 0 0 0
Net income 520 166 151 135 225 116 168 133 972 642 662
Less net income attributable to the noncontrolling interest                 (46) (38) (34)
Net income attributable to QVC, Inc. stockholder $ 507 $ 154 $ 141 $ 124 $ 215 $ 107 $ 157 $ 125 926 604 628
Parent issuer- QVC, Inc.                      
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]                      
Net revenue                 6,298 6,179 6,416
Operating costs and expenses:                      
Cost of goods sold (exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown separately below)                 3,877 3,855 4,018
Operating                 433 414 338
Selling, general and administrative, including stock-based compensation                 1,097 1,116 1,180
Depreciation                 67 57 43
Amortization                 187 245 233
Operating expenses                 5,661 5,687 5,812
Operating income                 637 492 604
Other (expense) income:                      
Equity in losses of investee                 0 0 0
Gains on financial instruments                   2  
Interest expense, net                 (215) (211) (205)
Foreign currency gain (loss)                 (5) 17 15
Loss on extinguishment of debt                     (21)
Intercompany interest (expense) income                 (12) (2) (7)
Nonoperating (expense) income                 (232) (194) (218)
Income before income taxes                 405 298 386
Income tax expense                 (129) (114) (136)
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries, net of tax                 696 458 412
Net income                 972 642 662
Less net income attributable to the noncontrolling interest                 (46) (38) (34)
Net income attributable to QVC, Inc. stockholder                 926 604 628
Combined subsidiary guarantors                      
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]                      
Net revenue                 1,000 1,001 962
Operating costs and expenses:                      
Cost of goods sold (exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown separately below)                 157 169 109
Operating                 265 258 265
Selling, general and administrative, including stock-based compensation                 2 1 1
Depreciation                 7 7 8
Amortization                 142 168 163
Operating expenses                 573 603 546
Operating income                 427 398 416
Other (expense) income:                      
Equity in losses of investee                 0 0 0
Gains on financial instruments                 0    
Interest expense, net                 1 0 0
Foreign currency gain (loss)                 1 0 (1)
Loss on extinguishment of debt                     0
Intercompany interest (expense) income                 96 1 (51)
Nonoperating (expense) income                 98 1 (52)
Income before income taxes                 525 399 364
Income tax expense                 80 (156) (153)
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries, net of tax                 47 189 262
Net income                 652 432 473
Less net income attributable to the noncontrolling interest                 0 0 0
Net income attributable to QVC, Inc. stockholder                 652 432 473
Combined non-guarantor subsidiaries                      
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]                      
Net revenue                 2,848 2,787 2,717
Operating costs and expenses:                      
Cost of goods sold (exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown separately below)                 1,744 1,726 1,624
Operating                 277 274 293
Selling, general and administrative, including stock-based compensation                 428 346 404
Depreciation                 81 78 83
Amortization                 35 50 58
Operating expenses                 2,565 2,474 2,462
Operating income                 283 313 255
Other (expense) income:                      
Equity in losses of investee                 (3) (6) (9)
Gains on financial instruments                 0    
Interest expense, net                 0 1 (3)
Foreign currency gain (loss)                 (2) 21 0
Loss on extinguishment of debt                     0
Intercompany interest (expense) income                 (84) 1 58
Nonoperating (expense) income                 (89) 17 46
Income before income taxes                 194 330 301
Income tax expense                 (103) (115) (100)
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries, net of tax                 0 0 0
Net income                 91 215 201
Less net income attributable to the noncontrolling interest                 (46) (38) (34)
Net income attributable to QVC, Inc. stockholder                 45 177 167
Consolidated Entity Excluding Variable Interest Entities (VIE) [Member]                      
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]                      
Net revenue                 (1,375) (1,285) (1,352)
Operating costs and expenses:                      
Cost of goods sold (exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown separately below)                 (180) (210) (223)
Operating                 (374) (340) (289)
Selling, general and administrative, including stock-based compensation                 (821) (735) (840)
Depreciation                 0 0 0
Amortization                 0 0 0
Operating expenses                 (1,375) (1,285) (1,352)
Operating income                 0 0 0
Other (expense) income:                      
Equity in losses of investee                 0 0 0
Gains on financial instruments                 0    
Interest expense, net                 0 0 0
Foreign currency gain (loss)                 0 0 0
Loss on extinguishment of debt                     0
Intercompany interest (expense) income                 0 0 0
Nonoperating (expense) income                 0 0 0
Income before income taxes                 0 0 0
Income tax expense                 0 0 0
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries, net of tax                 (743) (647) (674)
Net income                 (743) (647) (674)
Less net income attributable to the noncontrolling interest                 46 38 34
Net income attributable to QVC, Inc. stockholder                 $ (697) $ (609) $ (640)