Overview
Launched on March 12, 1991 as ValueVision, the channel has Qurate's HSN, QVC, and Jewelry Television as its competitors. Already called between 2013 and 2015 with that name, it was called ShopHQ again in 2019.
In addition to ShopHQ, iMedia operates two other brands; ShopHQ Health, offering health and wellness products, and the Bulldog Shopping Network, which carries products for men. Controlled by The Clinton Group until 2023, Comcast had a 12.5% stake in the company.[4]
Both ShopHQ and iMedia Brands (IMBI) are headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.[5] In August, 2023, they were acquired by IV Media, a subsidiary of Innovation Ventures, LLC.
History
ValueVision and ShopNBC/HQ
After being founded in June 1990, ValueVision Media (VVM) had a part of the company sold to NBC ten years later.[6] When ValueVision was renamed ShopNBC in November 2000, its rebranding included a new logo that features the NBC peacock,[7] but the parent company retained its name.
In 2010, it was reported that NBC might sell its stake in ValueVision Media, due in part to a pending merger between NBCUniversal and Comcast. One month after formally announcing that it would sell its stake back to VVM,[8] NBCU ultimately decided to maintain its investment in the company in June.[9]
After acquiring NBCUniversal's financial interest in 2013, ValueVision Media announced the network would be renamed ShopHQ (visually branded as SHQP).[5] Mark Cuban's American Dream aired on the network in 2014, and was part of a plan under the Clinton Group management to feature more celebrity hosts.[10]
Evine
On February 13, 2015, the ShopHQ network was rebranded as EVINE Live, following ValueVision Media's acquisition of e-commerce company Dollars Per Minute, the owner of the EVINE trademark, in order to distance itself from the reputation it held under ValueVision/ShopNBC/ShopHQ.[11]
The network hired former QVC host Kathy Levine, and has featured merchandise branded under different reality TV stars, including Lisa Vanderpump and Countess Luann DeLesseps. It has also premiered concepts from other well-known celebrities, including Paula Deen, Vanessa Williams, Nancy O’Dell, Holly Robinson Peete, Karen Fairchild, Dr. Terry Dubrow and Heather Dubrow, Todd English, Donny Osmond and Bob Vila. It also sells products on its e-commerce website, Evine.com.
EVINE Live launched a high definition feed of the channel in 1080i (including the acquisition of HD tier channel slots under new carriage agreements) the same year, but until September 2017, remained in standard definition, merely rebroadcasting the SD feed. The network converted to an upscaled standard definition widescreen presentation in the fall of 2016, and quietly upgraded to HD a year after.
In July 2016, EVINE dropped 'Live' from their on-air name.
Return to ShopHQ
On July 17, 2019, Evine Live Inc. began doing business under the new corporate banner of iMedia Brands Inc, with their shares traded under a new ticker of IMBI; Invicta Watch Group (which has a number of hours on the network as its largest vendor) invested an additional $6 million into the company.
The television network returned to the ShopHQ name effective August 21,[12] which the company used between 2013 and 2015, with the cited reason being market research suggesting confusion with the "E" name being confused for an entertainment news brand such as E! or Entertainment Tonight.
IMBI announced plans to launch a Spanish-speaking shopping channel called LaVenta Shopping Network, along with the male-focused Bulldog Shopping Network, itself a rebranding of evine TOO, a timeshift channel with only minimum cable distribution.[13]
Though the channel slot for Bulldog Shopping Network was activated in the spring of 2020, its focused was quickly changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A new concept around health and wellness products (including surgical masks, both disposable and cloth) called ShopHQ Health was launched within weeks of the pandemic and soon became the network space's main concept, and became its new official branding on September 1.[14][15]
Bulldog again launched anew in June 2021, but was discontinued on most providers at the end of December the same year after the network's satellite lease with Olympusat expired and was replaced with Kenneth Copeland's Victory Channel.[16]
Some of ShopHQ Health's cable carriage was wound down at the end of May 2022 after its Olympusat satellite lease expired and was replaced by QVC to carry QVC3;[17] both properties continue streaming online and feature some over-the-air carriage.[18]
Sale to Innovation Ventures, LLC
After filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on June 28, 2023,[19] the channel's parent company, iMedia Brands, said on July 10 that it could sell its assets to RNN Media Group for $50 million, in a deal scheduled to close in August. RNN already had an agreement with IMBI, having affiliated its stations with ShopHQ in a three-year agreement in 2021.[20]
However, in August 2023, it was announced that a subsidiary of Innovation Ventures, LLC acquired IMBI for $55 million.
$666.65M
