QVC and NBC's TODAY to Give One Rising Entrepreneur the Opportunity of a Lifetime

WEST CHESTER, Pa., April 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- On April 22, an aspiring entrepreneur will be given his or her big break – a chance to sell an invention in front of more than 100 million American households.

For the third consecutive year, QVC has joined forces with NBC's TODAY show for TODAY's Next Big Thing, a national competition to honor the spirit of innovation and invention and discover one entrepreneur whose product has what it takes to be presented on QVC's highly engaging multiplatform shopping experience.

In January, inventors across America were invited to submit their products for consideration. Throughout the week of April 17, nine finalists, with inventions spanning beauty, fashion, home, and cooking and dining, will appear live on NBC's TODAY to pitch their products to a panel of judges. The panel includes Anna Baker, QVC's director of global merchandising; Jill Martin, TODAY contributor and creative director of G.I.L.I. got it love it® (QVC's contemporary fashion and accessories line); and a TODAY show anchor.  

Starting Tuesday, April 18, viewers will vote for their favorites on TODAY.com. On Friday, April 21, the three inventors with the most votes will have one last chance to convince the judges that they have what it takes to be on QVC. The judges will declare the winner, and the winner will sell his or her product live on QVC the next day, Saturday, April 22, at 10 a.m. (ET).

"Each time we have teamed up with NBC on TODAY's Next Big Thing, the response from our customers to the winning entrepreneur has been tremendous," said Baker. "We're always looking for promising entrepreneurs with exciting new products that will surprise and delight our customers. QVC offers a powerful multiplatform network experience for entrepreneurs, where they can share the unique stories and inspirations behind their inventions directly with customers and distribute their products on a national scale."

Prior winners of TODAY's Next Big Thing quickly sold out during their first QVC appearances. In 2015, Leslie Pierson won with GoodHangups, a reusable magnetic display systems for posters, art, photographs and more. In 2016, Krista Woods won with Glovestix, a portable odor-management solution for athletic gloves, shoes, cleats and more that sold out in just eight minutes.

"Winning TODAY's Next Big Thing and appearing on QVC has been an absolute surreal experience," said Woods. "Since my QVC debut, my sales have quadrupled and the platform has afforded me so many incredible opportunities to inspire other entrepreneurs. I have always valued QVC for the quality of its products and the strength of its relationship with customers, and I am honored to now be a part of the QVC family."

For over 30 years, discovery, entrepreneurship, storytelling and relationships have been at the heart of QVC's shopping experience, so TODAY's Next Big Thing is a natural fit for QVC. The competition also supports the QVC NEXT™ program, which is dedicated to uncovering the best up-and-coming products from inventors and entrepreneurs, providing them with the opportunity to sell on QVC.com and the chance to grow their businesses through a scalable and nurturing process.

Tune in to Saturday Morning Q® on QVC Saturday, April 22 at 10 a.m. (ET) for a firsthand look at the TODAY'S Next Big Thing winning entrepreneur and his or her invention. Visit QVC.com to purchase the winning item, plus the products from the other two finalists. To learn more about the QVC NEXT program, visit QVC.com/qvcnext.

About QVC
QVC combines the best of retail, media and social to create the most engaging shopping experience, one that exceeds the expectations of everyone we touch by delivering the joy of discovery through the power of relationships.  Every day, in nine countries and counting, QVC engages millions of shoppers in a journey of discovery through an ever-changing collection of familiar brands and fresh new products, from home and fashion to beauty, electronics and jewelry. Along the way, we connect with shoppers via live dialog, engaging stories, interesting personalities and award-winning customer service. Based in West Chester, Pa. and founded in 1986, QVC has more than 17,000 employees and has retail operations in the U.S., Japan, Germany, United Kingdom, Italy, France, and through a joint venture in China. Worldwide, QVC engages shoppers via 15 broadcast networks reaching more than 360 million homes, seven websites, and 195 social pages. Visit corporate.qvc.com to learn more.

QVC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Liberty Interactive Corporation and is attributed to the QVC Group tracking stock (NASDAQ: QVCA, QVCB). Liberty's QVC Group also includes zulily, a digital retailer obsessed with bringing customers special finds every day at incredible prices. zulily has been a wholly-owned subsidiary of Liberty Interactive Corporation since October 2015. zulily features an ever-changing, always delightful collection of clothing, home décor, toys, gifts and more––for the whole family. Unique products from up-and-coming brands are featured alongside favorites from top brands, giving customers something new to discover each morning. Launched in 2010, zulily is headquartered in Seattle. Among mass merchants, the combined QVC Group (including QVC and zulily) is the #3 mobile retailer in the U.S., the #8 mobile retailer globally, and the #4 ecommerce player in North America, according to Internet Retailer. QVC, Q, and the Q Ribbon Logo are registered service marks of ER Marks, Inc. For more information on Liberty Interactive Corporation, visit www.libertyinteractive.com.

SOURCE QVC, Inc.

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