For streamers like Paramount, Disney, Netflix, and Peacock, it’s not enough that you watch TV on the platform — they want to own what you do on your phone, too.
Technology
Streaming services really want you to buy stuff while you watch TV
Paramount is the latest company to introduce custom ads that appear mid-show. Netflix, Disney, and Peacock have also experimented or explored similar shopping features.
Paramount announced today that it would launch a new “mobile shopping experience” during this weekend’s CMT Music Awards red carpet. Partnering with a company called Shopsense AI, Paramount says viewers will be able to browse and purchase items inspired by what’s happening on their TV.
So far, the custom online shop includes women’s fashion, home decor, and a section called “Western Gothic Country,” sponsored by Walmart. The CMT Music Awards are just the beginning — soon, CBS audiences watching sports and daytime talk shows will also likely start to see ads for similar online storefronts.
Streaming platforms have approached shopping in a few different ways. On Peacock, subscribers get ads for items related to what they’re watching, like the kitchen utensils being used on a cooking show. They then scan a QR code from their TV and can buy the items on their phone. Peacock’s Love Island online shopping page includes a $75 flamingo pool float and a $19 underwater camera. In January, Disney announced it would test sending ads for products to viewers while they watched through emails or push notifications to their phone. Disney said the personalized notices would let audiences shop “without disrupting their viewing experience.” And Netflix is exploring how it can reach you on your phone while you watch its programs.
The streamers are fighting for your “second screen,” the device you have next to you — or that you’re using — while you watch TV. Shopping has long been part of this experience (think: infomercials of the early 2000s or QVC-style shopping programs). If you see a reality star in a pair of sunglasses that you want, the creators of that show want a cut when you go out and buy a pair for yourself.
TV isn’t the only place where shopping is poised to play an even bigger role. Social media platforms like TikTok and Pinterest have added more and more e-commerce features in recent years for the same reason: they want to keep you in the walled garden, from discovering a product to hitting the “order” button.