Dive Brief:
- After shedding Zulily earlier this year, Qurate Retail Group, which owns QVC, HSN and others, is doubling down on video commerce and introducing QVC and HSN channels on Amazon’s Freevee streaming service, the company said Thursday. Qurate is also launching The Big Dish, its first free, ad-supported channel.
- QVC and HSN will broadcast about 40 hours of live programming a day across both channels. The channels will feature products promoted by celebrities, influencers and other personalities.
- The Big Dish will feature various culinary shows from QVC and HSN. Viewers can access the channels via the Freevee app, Fire TV and Amazon Prime Video.
Dive Insight:
With its Amazon partnership, QVC and HSN aim to broaden their digital reach. In its announcement, Qurate Retail Group said QVC and HSN reach over 200 million households worldwide via their TV channels and livestreaming operations.
“By launching our QVC and HSN linear channels on Freevee, we’re bringing these viewers two distinct entertaining and engaging live shopping experiences,” David Apostolico, senior vice president of platform strategy, development and distribution at vCommerce Ventures at Qurate Retail Group, said in a statement. “The Big Dish adds a more focused video shopping experience for culinary fans and foodies. We look forward to welcoming new and existing customers into our content and shopping experiences on Freevee.”
But as Qurate Retail Group adds QVC and HSN programming to another platform, the company has trimmed other elements of its business. In March, the company laid off 12% of its corporate headcount, saving the company about $60 million. The layoffs came after the company reported a 13% drop in Q4 2022 revenue to $3.5 billion.
Qurate also announced the sale of Zulily in May to Regent, a Los Angeles-based global investment firm. For Qurate, the move allowed the company to shed an underperforming unit and concentrate on QVC, HSN and the Cornerstone Brands.
Following its rebranding from IMDb TV, the enhancement of Amazon’s Freevee is part of the e-commerce giant’s efforts to boost its streaming offerings, which include the livestreaming platform Twitch and the streaming rights to NFL Thursday Night Football. According to its website, Freevee is also available on Apple TV, Google TV and Roku, among other options.
