HSN facts for kids
| Private | |
| Traded as | NASDAQ: HSNI |
| Industry | Cable Television Satellite Television |
| Fate | Acquired by Liberty Interactive Corporation in 2017, now co-owned with QVC |
| Founded | 1977 |
| Founders | Lowell Paxson Roy Speer |
| Headquarters |
,
United States
|
|
Key people
|
Mindy Grossman (CEO, 2006–2017) |
| Parent | QVC Group (formerly Qurate Retail Group) (2017-present) |
| Divisions | Cornerstone Brands |
 |
|
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Worldwide |
| Headquarters | West Chester, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Programming | |
| Picture format | 1080i (HDTV) (HD feed downgraded to letterboxed 480i for the SDTV feed) |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | QVC Group (formerly Qurate Retail Group and before that, Liberty Interactive) |
| Sister channels | HSN2 |
| History | |
| Launched | September 20, 1982 |
| Former names | Home Shopping Club (1982–1985) Home Shopping Network (1985–2000) |
| Availability | |
| Terrestrial | |
| ABC Owned Television Stations | -DT4 channel position; list of stations |
| Over-the-air as a subchannel | Consult local listings |
| Streaming media | |
| Digital media receiver | Roku and Apple TV (4th generation) |
| Service(s) | DirecTV Stream, Pluto TV, Samsung TV Plus, Sling Freestream, The Roku Channel, YouTube TV, |
| Website | HSN Live Stream HSN2 Live Streaming |
HSN is a popular American television network. It is short for its old name, Home Shopping Network. HSN is part of the QVC Group, which also owns other shopping brands. The company's main office is in West Chester, Pennsylvania.
HSN is known for its live TV shows where hosts present products. Viewers can buy these items by calling in or going online. It's a fun way to shop from home!
Contents
The History of HSN
How HSN Started
HSN began in 1982 as the Home Shopping Club. It was created by Lowell Paxson and Roy Speer. At first, it was a local TV channel in Florida. It showed products that people could buy.
Three years later, in 1985, it became a national network. Its name changed to the Home Shopping Network. This was a new idea: selling things on TV across the country! Another shopping channel, QVC, started the next year.
Growth and Changes
In 1986, HSN launched a second network. This one broadcasted for free on TV stations HSN had bought. Over time, HSN went through many changes. It became part of different companies.
In 1997, HSN joined with other TV channels like USA Network. This made the company bigger. In September 2000, the Home Shopping Network changed its name to just HSN.
New Leadership and Partnerships
Mindy Grossman became the CEO of HSN in 2006. She worked hard to make the brand new and exciting. She helped HSN grow its business across many platforms. Mindy Grossman left HSN in 2017.
In 2017, Liberty Interactive, which owned QVC, bought HSN. This meant HSN and QVC became sister companies. They are now both part of the QVC Group. In 2018, HSN worked with the TV show Pickler & Ben. This allowed viewers to buy items featured on the show directly from HSN.
On February 21, 2025, the parent company, Qurate Retail Group, officially changed its name to QVC Group.
HSN's Sister Channels
HSN has other channels that are part of its family. These are called sister channels.
- HSN2: This channel started on August 1, 2010. It shows replays of HSN's product presentations. It's like a time-delayed version of the main channel.
- America's Store: This was another shopping service from HSN. It was on the air from 1988 until April 2007.
How HSN Operates
HSN's main operations were in St. Petersburg, Florida for a long time. This included its main office and TV studios. They also had call centers in places like Roanoke, Virginia and Toledo, Ohio.
In January 2025, HSN announced a big move. Its St. Petersburg headquarters closed. HSN's operations moved to West Chester, Pennsylvania. This is where HSN and QVC's parent company, QVC Group, is located.
Today, you can watch HSN and QVC on regular TV without cable. You can also watch them using streaming devices. There are also special streaming services from cable providers. These offer a different shopping experience than just ordering online.
Technology Behind HSN
Taking Your Calls
When HSN first started, it used a simple phone system. All calls went to the first available order taker. As the network grew, they needed a much bigger system. This helped them handle many calls at once.
Early Order System
HSN used a special computer system to take orders. This system was built on a large mainframe computer. It helped them keep track of all the products sold and customer information.
More About HSN
- Home shopping host: Learn about the people who present products on shopping channels.
- List of over-the-air Home Shopping Network affiliates: See which local TV stations used to broadcast HSN for free.
