QVC, Inc. announced it plans to expand its international presence with the addition of programming in Italy. With the launch of QVC Italy, scheduled for October 2010, QVC will have four international electronic retailing operations.
"We view Italy as an essential market in the expansion of our international presence, and are very excited about the growth prospects it offers," said Mike George, president and CEO, QVC. "QVC's presence in Italy is just one example of the many growth opportunities we are pursuing."
The primary distribution platform for QVC Italy will be Telecom Italia Media Broadcasting's digital terrestrial television (DTT) system, which currently reaches approximately 6.1 million homes in Italy. That number is expected to grow to as many as 8.8 million homes by January 2010.
"For many reasons, we feel Italy is the perfect choice for our next international venture," said David Frey, president, QVC International. "It has always been a great source of merchandise for us, and we are thrilled to have the opportunity to introduce QVC to the Italian people."
In addition to QVC's U.S. operations, it currently has international broadcast operations in the United Kingdom, Germany and Japan.
