USA Networks to Offer E-Commerce Services

USA Networks Inc., the media and electronic-retailing company run by Barry Diller, created a new company to provide e-commerce services using existing divisions such as the Home Shopping Network. The new company, USA Electronic Commerce & Services, will use call centers, customer service operations and packing operations from USA’s Home Shopping Network, Ticketmaster and Ticketmaster Online-CitySearch to provide these so-called back-office services to e-commerce companies. Home Shopping Network and Ticketmaster will remain separate from the new company, although USA will add three other divisions to the start-up, including an Internet customer-care unit that uses chat and e-mail, and a marketing unit. The company said it will use existing personnel to provide the services. Shares of the New York-based firm fell 44 cents to close at $36.94 on Nasdaq.