Ideal World For Sale

Ideal World is back up for sale, a member of staff at Ideal World contacted shoppingtelly.com with the news that a deadline of close of business today for "Expressions of Interest". Our source also said that the retailer still owes "hundreds of thousands" to suppliers.

Kroll has published the following on their website

Kroll has asked for interested parties to get in touch, with the deadline being end of business today:

UK’s Leading Multi-Channel Home Shopping Retailers

Project Graystone (“the Company”)

Kroll has been retained to seek an investor and / or a purchaser for the business and assets of the Company.

Deadline for Expressions of Interest: All communications, enquiries and requests for information should be addressed to Callum O’Brien by Friday, 30th June, 2023, via the details below.

QVC and HSN Launch Livestream Video Shopping Experiences on Amazon Freevee

QVC and HSN will offer Freevee customers approximately 40 hours a day of live vCommerce programming across both channels, featuring premier brands and fresh new products presented by celebrities, influencers and other interesting personalities. This includes popular shows such as QVC's "In the Kitchen with David" and HSN's "Gotta See G by Giuliana Rancic."

Additionally, Qurate Retail Group is bringing its first FAST channel, The Big Dish, to Freevee. The Big Dish currently features a fun mix of pre-recorded culinary programming from QVC and QVC2. This summer, The Big Dish will expand to also feature HSN culinary content and original culinary shows from the QVC+ and HSN+ streaming app. While QVC's and HSN's linear channels already exist on multiple FAST services, The Big Dish is Qurate Retail's first foray into an ad-supported channel with a narrow focus on a specific interest area, which is the most popular channel format on FAST.

"By launching our QVC and HSN linear channels on Freevee, we're bringing these viewers two distinct entertaining and engaging live shopping experiences," said David Apostolico, SVP Platform Strategy, Development & Distribution, vCommerce Ventures at Qurate Retail Group. "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."

Amazon Freevee is a streaming video service with thousands of premium movies and TV shows, including Originals and free ad-supported (FAST) channels, available anytime, for free. All FAST channels available on Freevee can be accessed through the Freevee app, as well as within Fire TV and Prime Video.

This launch reflects Qurate Retail Group's strategic initiative to expand the reach of its original vCommerce experiences across new media and digital platforms. QVC and HSN reach more than 200 million homes globally via 15 linear TV channels, which are widely available on cable/satellite TV, free over-the-air TV, and digital livestreaming TV. QVC has been the first livestream shopping channel on multiple streaming services. QVC and HSN also reach more than 100 million internet-connected homes across the U.S. via the QVC+ and HSN+ streaming experience and reach millions of homes via websites, mobile apps and social pages.

Sudden loss of Ideal World on Virgin Media

Ideal World makes sudden exit from Virgin Media TV platform, days after further ownership changes at the channel.

The Peterborough-based channel was terminated overnight, leaving cable viewers without access to the channel. Baffled viewers have begun to take to social media to find out what’s happened, with no notice given to viewers of the closedown.

RXTV reader Chris got in touch with us this morning reporting Ideal World’s former Virgin Media slot (channel 747) now informs viewers of its closure. The message directs viewers to some of the alternative shopping channels still available on the platform.

Ideal World continues on Freeview, Freesat and Sky. as well as online.

The development follows changes to the ownership structure of the channel this week. Last year, the remains of Ideal World were sold to investor Hamish Morjaria. But earlier this week, SDI (Retail Co 8) Limited took a shareholding in the company, alongside the existing shareholding of Morjaria’s Chess Valley Group Limited.

Shopping channel operators have previously gone public raising concerns about the cost of being available on Virgin Media. This led to uncertainty on the future of Create & Craft on the cable TV platform when it was taken over by Hochanda last year. Ideal World reported net liabilities of over £1 million in its latest company accounts.

Source: RXTV