A QVC and HSN interactive streaming shopping experience has landed on Samsung smart TVs with the launch of a video commerce app on the platform.
According to the companies, the QVC+ and HSN+ combined shoppable streaming app is currently the only shopping app on Samsung smart TVs that enables viewers to complete purchases within the app while also blending multiple channels of live content and video on-demand options.
The app combines QVC and HSN’s five linear broadcast channels (for a total of 50+ hours of live video commerce content daily), three digital-only linear channels and about 20 original streaming-only shows. It features programs such as “Cooking with Curtis” featuring chef Curtis Stone, “Total Look,” which offers tips on how to style a single item in three ways, and “QVC en Español,” QVC’s first-ever collection of Spanish-language shows.
Users can access the QVC+ and HSN+ streaming service via their remote in the app store on smart TVs. To boost visibility, Samsung is featuring QVC+ and HSN+ in the app store preview on its smart TV home page for three months. QVC+ and HSN+ are part of vCommercec Ventures, a new business unit created as part of Qurate Retail Group to advance its efforts for digital live streaming shopping outside of QVC and HSN’s traditional mediums. QVC and HSN already reach more than 200 million homes globally through 14 linear TV channels widely available on cable and satellite, OTA and digital livestreaming.
As David Apostolico, SVP of platform strategy, development and distribution for vCommerce Ventures noted, smart TV viewers can already access some of the company’s content via free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channels on Samsung TV Plus.
“Our QVC+ and HSN+ streaming experience is our most complete livestream shopping experience, with virtually all of our programming in one package that makes it easy to peruse, discover and shop great finds," Apostolico continued in a statement. “Now, Samsung Smart TV users can also shop and enjoy using our app, with original streaming content they'll love. We look forward to offering our customers this new way to engage with us via millions of Samsung devices and welcoming new customers on Samsung Smart TVs."
Shopping integrations on smart TVs and shoppable ads is something other retailers and streamers also have an eye on.
Walmart teamed up with Roku earlier this year to test shoppable ads where users can complete purchases fulfilled by the retail giant directly from their Roku platform with prepopulated financial information. On Tuesday Walmart said the experience would be funded by advertisers through Walmart Connect and Roku Advertising – while also naming TikTok, Snap and others as innovation partners.
As for Samsung, the company recently disclosed efforts to boost investment and revamp its FAST platform Samsung TV Plus, including fresh logo branding. The smart TV-maker is focused on building up premium content, news offerings, and expanded video on-demand content, among others. Samsung TV Plus currently offers over 220 linear style channels in the U.S. and 1,600 channels globally.
Speaking to Fierce Video in August, Sang Kim, SVP of Product and Marketing, said the company has “seen engagement numbers just go through the roof the past three or four years” for its FAST platform.