Streaming services really want you to buy stuff while you watch TV

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. 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. 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.  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.” 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.