Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Long-Term Debt

v2.4.0.6
Long-Term Debt
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2013
Long-term Debt, Unclassified [Abstract]  
Long-Term Debt
Long-Term Debt
Debt is summarized as follows:
 
 
Outstanding principal at March 31, 2013
 
Carrying value
 
 
March 31, 2013
 
December 31, 2012
 
 
amounts in millions
Interactive Group
 
 
 
 
 
 
5.7% Senior Notes due May 2013
$
241

 
240

 
240

 
8.5% Senior Debentures due 2029
287

 
285

 
285

 
8.25% Senior Debentures due 2030
504

 
501

 
501

 
QVC 7.125% Senior Secured Notes due 2017
376

 
376

 
500

 
QVC 7.5% Senior Secured Notes due 2019
769

 
760

 
988

 
QVC 7.375% Senior Secured Notes due 2020
500

 
500

 
500

 
QVC 5.125% Senior Secured Notes due 2022
500

 
500

 
500

 
QVC 4.375% Senior Secured Notes due 2023
750

 
750

 

 
QVC 5.95% Senior Secured Notes due 2043
300

 
300

 

 
QVC Bank Credit Facilities
328

 
328

 
903

 
Other subsidiary debt
131

 
131

 
125

     Total Interactive Group
4,686

 
4,671

 
4,542

Ventures Group
 
 
 
 
 
 
3.125% Exchangeable Senior Debentures due 2023
1,128

 
1,854

 
1,639

 
4% Exchangeable Senior Debentures due 2029
469

 
335

 
311

 
3.75% Exchangeable Senior Debentures due 2030
460

 
307

 
297

 
3.5% Exchangeable Senior Debentures due 2031
368

 
317

 
292

 
3.25% Exchangeable Senior Debentures due 2031

 

 
391

 
TripAdvisor Debt Facilities
391

 
391

 
412

     Total Ventures Group debt
2,816

 
3,204

 
3,342

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Total consolidated Liberty debt
$
7,502

 
7,875

 
7,884

 
Less current maturities
 

 
(1,282
)
 
(1,638
)
 
Total long-term debt
 
 
$
6,593

 
6,246


QVC Bank Credit Facilities
On March 1, 2013, QVC entered into an amended and restated syndicated senior secured credit agreement which served to refinance QVC's existing bank credit facility (the “Amended and Restated Credit Agreement”). The Amended and Restated Credit Agreement is a multi-currency facility providing for a $2 billion revolving credit facility, with a $250 million sub-limit for standby letters of credit and $1 billion of uncommitted incremental revolving loan commitments or incremental term loans. The loans are scheduled to mature on March 1, 2018. The covenants contained in the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement are substantially similar to those contained in QVC's previously existing bank credit facility. Borrowings under the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement bear interest at either the alternate base rate or LIBOR (based on an interest period selected by QVC of one week, one month, two months, three months or six months, or to the extent available from all lenders, nine months or twelve months) at QVC's election in each case plus a margin. 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 1.00% depending on QVC's ratio of consolidated total debt to consolidated Adjusted OIBDA (the “consolidated leverage ratio”). Borrowings that are LIBOR loans will bear interest at a per annum rate equal to the applicable LIBOR plus a margin that varies between 1.25% and 2.00% depending on QVC's consolidated leverage ratio. Each loan may be prepaid at any time and from time to time without penalty other than customary breakage costs. Any amounts prepaid on the revolving facility may be reborrowed. The Amended and Restated Credit Agreement is a multi-currency facility. The Amended and Restated Credit Agreement is secured by the stock of QVC. Availability under the QVC Amended and Restated Credit Agreement at March 31, 2013 was $1,672 million. QVC was in compliance with all debt covenants related to the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement at March 31, 2013.
QVC Senior Secured Notes
On March 4, 2013, QVC announced the commencement of cash tender offers (the “Offers”) for any and all of its outstanding $500 million in aggregate principal amount of 7.125% senior secured notes due 2017 (the “7.125% Senior Notes”) and up to $250 million in aggregate principal amount of its 7.50% senior secured notes due 2019 (the “7.5% Senior Notes”). The Offer for the 7.125% Senior Notes expired on March 15, 2013, and the Offer for the 7.5% Senior Notes expired on April 1, 2013. Approximately $124 million of the 7.125% Senior Notes were tendered prior to March 31, 2013 pursuant to the Offers, whereby holders of the 7.125% Senior Notes received consideration of $1,039.40 for each $1,000 principal amount of tendered 7.125% Senior Notes purchased pursuant to the Offers. QVC called the remaining $376 million principal of its 7.125% Senior Notes subsequent to March 31, 2013. Approximately $231 million of the 7.5% Senior Notes were tendered pursuant to the Offers prior to March 31, 2013. The total consideration for the 7.5% Senior Notes was $1,120 for each $1,000 principal amount of tendered 7.5% Senior Notes.
On March 18, 2013, QVC completed the offering of $750 million principal amount of new 4.375% senior secured notes due 2023 and $300 million principal amount of new 5.950% senior secured notes due 2043 (collectively, the “Notes”). The Notes will be secured by a first-priority lien on QVC's capital stock, pari passu with the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement and QVC's existing notes. The net proceeds from the offering were used to fund the Offers, repay outstanding amounts on QVC's existing bank credit facility, and for general corporate purposes. The proceeds will also be used to repay amounts outstanding under the 5.7% Senior Notes due May 2013. QVC was in compliance with all of its debt covenants related to its outstanding senior notes at March 31, 2013.
QVC Interest Rate Swap Arrangements
In March 2013, QVC's notional interest rate swaps of $3.1 billion expired. These swap arrangements did not qualify as cash flow hedges under GAAP. Accordingly, changes in the fair value of the swaps were reflected in realized and unrealized gains or losses on financial instruments in the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of operations.
Exchangeable Senior Debentures
During the three months ended March 31, 2013, Liberty retired all outstanding 3.25% Exchangeable Senior Debentures due 2031. Liberty paid approximately $414 million to retire the then outstanding principal balance of $414 million during the period.     
Subsequent to March 31, 2013, Liberty announced that its wholly owned subsidiary Liberty Interactive LLC has called for the redemption of all the outstanding 3.125% Exchangeable Senior Debentures due 2023 ("3.125% Exchangeable Senior Debentures") on May 9, 2013 (the "redemption date"). In accordance with the redemption provisions of the 3.125% Exchangeable Senior Debentures and the related indenture, the 3.125% Exchangeable Senior Debentures will be redeemed at a redemption price equal to the sum of (i) the adjusted principal amount of such debenture in effect on the redemption date, (ii) any accrued and unpaid interest on such debenture to the redemption date and (iii) subject to certain conditions, any final period distribution on such debenture. Interest on the debentures will cease to accrue on and after the redemption date. Liberty may, at its election, pay the exchange value in cash, Time Warner, Time Warner Cable and AOL common stock, or a combination thereof.
Also on April 9, 2013, Liberty announced that its wholly owned subsidiary Liberty Interactive LLC completed the offer and sale of $850 million aggregate original principal amount of Liberty Interactive LLC's 0.75% Exchangeable Senior Debentures due 2043 (the “Debentures”) in a private placement transaction. The Debentures mature on March 30, 2043. Interest on the Debentures will accrue from April 9, 2013 at an annual rate of 0.75% of the original principal amount of $1,000 per Debenture, payable quarterly in arrears on March 30, June 30, September 30 and December 30 of each year, commencing June 30, 2013. Each $1,000 original principal amount of Debentures is initially exchangeable for a basket of 6.3040 shares of common stock of Time Warner Cable, Inc. and 5.1635 shares of common stock of Time Warner Inc., which may change over time to include other publicly traded common equity securities that may be distributed on or in respect of those shares of Time Warner Cable, Inc. and Time Warner Inc. (or into which any of those securities may be converted or exchanged). This basket of shares for which each Debenture in the original principal amount of $1,000 may be exchanged is referred to as the Reference Shares attributable to such Debenture, and to each issuer of Reference Shares as a Reference Company. Each Debenture is exchangeable at the option of the holder at any time, upon which they will be entitled to receive the Reference Shares attributable to such Debenture or, at the election of Liberty Interactive LLC, cash or a combination of Reference Shares and cash having a value equal to such Reference Shares. Upon exchange, holders will not be entitled to any cash payment representing accrued interest or outstanding additional distributions.
Other Subsidiary Debt
Other subsidiary debt at March 31, 2013 is comprised of capitalized satellite transponder lease obligations and bank debt of certain subsidiaries.
Fair Value of Debt
Liberty estimates the fair value of its debt based on the quoted market prices for the same or similar issues or on the current rate offered to Liberty for debt of the same remaining maturities (level 2). The fair value of Liberty's publicly traded debt securities that are not reported at fair value in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheet at March 31, 2013 is as follows (amounts in millions):
Senior notes
$
242

Senior debentures
$
881

QVC senior secured notes
$
3,375


Due to the variable rate nature, Liberty believes that the carrying amount of its other debt, not discussed above, approximated fair value at March 31, 2013.