Amazon is trying to keep live shopping relevant with the launch of a “Amazon LiveFAST Channel (ad-supported free TV) on Prime Video and Freevee. Previously only available as a feature on desktop, mobile and Fire TV, the new live channel will give US customers more ways to engage with interactive, shoppable content.
Amazon Live’s FAST channel will feature 24/7 programming from popular creators and celebrities, including reality stars Lala Kent (“Vanderpump Rules”) and Paige DeSorbo (“Southern Charm”), who is also launching her own original show on Amazon Live , where he will develop brand new content. Brands like Tastemade and The Bump will also host streams to sell their products.
Viewers can browse and purchase the items showcased by influencers using the Amazon Shopping app on their mobile device. When you type “buy the show” into the search bar, users are directed in real time to a shopping carousel featuring the products they’re watching on TV.
Image Credits: Amazon
This isn’t the first time Prime Video has introduced an e-commerce shopping experience to streaming. To promote ‘The Boys’ spinoff series ‘Gen V’, Amazon has launched a virtual store selling merchandise and homeware based on Godolkin University, the show’s superhero school.
Last year, QVC and HSN — the top two shopping channels — launched linear deals on Freevee, which were the only live streaming shopping channels on the service at the time.
Amazon Live launched in 2019 as a QVC-like shopping experience to help brands discover their products and engage talent with fans. It began offering to customers in India in 2022. According to the company, more than 1 billion customers in the US and India were streaming purchasable Amazon Live video in 2023 alone.
Despite Amazon’s success with live shopping, the format only makes up a small percentage of the e-commerce market. Last year, live markets were expected to be worth $31.7 billion, However, total online retail sales in the US According to reports reached 1.14 trillion dollars.
