Brands are innovating beyond traditional channels, recognizing that consumers expect seamless experiences blending entertainment and commerce. Retailers respond by partnering with streaming services and influencers, creating deeper collaborations between brands, retailers, and media platforms.

Shoppable Entertainment Pioneers

Since the days of QVC and HSN, shoppable entertainment has evolved into an ecosystem driven by the success of TikTok. TikTok Shopping has revolutionized the traditional purchase funnel with its discovery-based model, transforming retail from transactional to relational.

By blending entertainment with commerce, TikTok Shopping creates an environment where product discovery happens organically, and purchasing feels like a natural extension of engagement. The platform’s success lies in how content creators foster authentic connections, making recommendations feel more like advice from a trusted friend than a corporate sales pitch. This “shoppable entertainment” model has become the blueprint for modern retail engagement.

Cross-platform integration is at the heart of this model. TikTok Shopping connects social media discovery with ecommerce purchasing, like how retailers use multiple touchpoints in omnichannel strategies to create seamless consumer journeys. The most successful retail media partnerships create cohesive narratives across retail environments, streaming platforms, and social media, meeting consumers wherever they engage.

Retail Media Partnerships: Beyond Traditional Advertising

Retail media partnerships combine retailers, brands, streaming platforms, and content creators to create integrated experiences that blend entertainment with commerce. Streaming retail media partnerships allow retailers to use platforms like YouTube and Hulu for targeted ads based on first-party data to partner with brands like Walmart, Target, and Instacart to reach consumers based on shopping habits.

Collaborative engagements such as influencer marketing and content creation foster deeper audience connections. Examples include seamless product integrations in shows or authentic content crafted by influencers, making promotions feel natural rather than forced.

Some examples of recent retail media partnerships include:

Amazon’s Beast Games: Beyond its entertainment value, Beast Games serves as a platform for Amazon to integrate shoppable content, allowing viewers to purchase featured products directly through their Prime Video interface. This strategy leverages the purchasing power of the average American consumer, who spends $1,832 annually on Amazon.com, enhancing the seamless shopping experience and driving even more value for the platform.

Sephora’s Hulu Beauty Docuseries: Featuring music artists like Chappell Roan, Victoria Monét, and Becky G showcasing their beauty routines is an indirect advertising tactic that builds brand awareness and resonates with audiences, prioritizing content creation over direct sales. This strategy has proven effective, contributing to a 15% increase in Sephora store visits in 2024.

Netflix and Ms. Rachel: Netflix’s partnership with Ms. Rachel, a popular YouTube educator for toddlers, highlights how niche influencers are leveraged to reach specific audiences, creating a more personalized and effective advertising experience. Programming that aligns with Netflix’s broader strategy, including the launch of Netflix Shop, which sells licensed merchandise from its hit shows, further blending content, commerce, and audience engagement. With the average American consumer spending $205 annually on Netflix, this integrated model maximizes value and deepens viewer loyalty.

The Rise of Retail Media Networks: How It Works

Retail and entertainment platforms are increasingly merging, transforming gaming, streaming, and digital content into purchase channels. Companies like YouTube, Roku, and gaming platforms are integrating direct shopping features to enable a seamless path to purchase. The Instacart-Roku partnership enhances this approach, allowing viewers to buy consumer-packaged goods (CPG) directly from their screens via text messaging or QR codes, with Instacart handling delivery. NBCUniversal is also testing Must Shop TV, a shoppable ad format on Peacock.

Meanwhile, some retailers are establishing proprietary Retail Media Networks (RMNs) to take control of their advertising ecosystems. Major players like Amazon, eBay, Costco, grocers (e.g., Kroger), and department stores (e.g., Macy’s) leverage retail media networks to monetize first-party shopper data and offer brands highly targeted ad placements on digital and in-store properties. These networks provide brands with direct access to engaged consumers while generating premium ad revenue for retailers, often requiring brands to commit to minimum annual spending for participation.

Chewy has unveiled an updated strategy for its retail media network, Chewy Ads, to enhance advertising opportunities for pet product brands. The refreshed plan focuses on providing more targeted and effective ad placements within Chewy’s online platform, leveraging customer data to improve ad relevance and performance. This initiative is part of Chewy’s broader effort to diversify revenue streams and offer value-added services to its partners.

Giant Eagle has selected Grocery TV to enhance its in-store retail media network. This collaboration will integrate Giant Eagle’s screens into Grocery TV’s advertising platform, enabling the retailer’s Leap retail media network to manage and monetize digital advertising across its stores. The partnership aims to deliver engaging content to shoppers while generating additional revenue through targeted advertising.

In conclusion, as entertainment and retail continue to converge, innovative partnerships and proprietary media networks are reshaping how brands connect with consumers. By leveraging targeted advertising and seamless shopping experiences, companies are turning content into commerce, driving deeper engagement and transforming the retail landscape.