The news: TV is transforming into a retail platform as networks and brands implement shoppable media, allowing consumers to purchase products seen during their favorite shows, according to a new EMARKETER study conducted with Shopsense AI.

Shoppable TV is growing rapidly, with a projected 108.7 million shoppable media buyers by 2027.

• Notably, 50.8% of consumers reported spending between $100 and $499 on TV-inspired purchases over the past year.
• Additionally, 40.3% plan to spend more in the next 12 months, while 32.8% expect to spend the same amount.

Why it matters: As shoppable media grows, television is evolving beyond a channel for brand awareness to become a powerful catalyst for real-time consumer purchases.

• TV remains a key driver in product discovery, with 62.7% of consumers finding new brands or products through TV content. Most consumers use mobile devices to shop for products they discover on TV, aligning with the 210.2 million predicted second-screen users in the US by 2025.
• Furthermore, 67.5% of consumers prefer starting their product searches via a search engine, while 48.3% turn to social media.

There’s more: Nearly half of US adults have made purchases via shoppable commerce on social media, but growing partnerships between brands and CTV platforms, especially during live events, may shift this trend toward TV.

Shoppable media formats are rapidly expanding across social networks and connected TV, with 57% of ad agency professionals identifying shoppable video as the next retail media frontier.

• Platforms like Instacart expanding its offsite retail media by integrating first-party data with Google Shopping Ads on YouTube allows CPG advertisers like Clorox and Publicis to reach high-intent consumers through shoppable ads.
• Meanwhile, Albertsons Media Collective launched a platform that simplifies shoppable media ad buys, among other things.

Our take: Shoppable media is evolving TV from an awareness tool into a powerful driver of sales, offering brands new interactive retail opportunities as consumers become more willing to spend.

• The growing alignment between TV content and retail underscores the potential for networks and advertisers to tap into spontaneous purchasing behavior.
• The increased use of mobile devices as second screens further supports the potential of TV to influence purchasing decisions in real time.