Roku and Walmart want to make TV streaming an e-commerce shopping destination

[Shawn Knight]

In brief: "Always be closing." That's apparently the motto behind Roku's latest advertising partnership with Walmart to turn its streaming platform into an e-commerce shopping destination. The duo's new pilot program looks to fuse entertainment with the world of commerce and enable purchases "directly at the time of inspiration."

It'll use Roku's expertise in the streaming ad space – namely targeting, optimization and measurement – to serve shoppable ads during commercial breaks.

To interact with an ad, simply click "OK" to go to the product page. Payment details are auto-filled from Roku Pay, the company's purpose-built payments platform. Users can look at additional photos of the product or simply click "OK" again to complete checkout.

A Walmart purchase confirmation will be sent to your e-mail address on file compete with shipping, return and support information.

Roku said its ad-buying platform, OneView, will have the capability to activate and measure the shoppable ads.

"We're working to connect with customers where they are already spending time, shortening the distance from discovery and inspiration to purchase," said William White, chief marketing officer at Walmart. "No one has cracked the code around shoppability, until now," he added.

"This is some of the most gripping video we've ever had the opportunity to bring you folks at home."

Shopping from your television isn't exactly a new concept. Shopping channels such as QVC and direct-to-consumer, 1-800 ads have been around for decades. More recently, shoppable livestreams from companies like Amazon, eBay and Whatnot have started to take off.

Roku said future iterations of the pilot will look for opportunities to build even deeper commerce experiences to meet consumers where they are.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/94988-roku-walmart-want-make-tv-streaming-e-commerce.html

 

[psycros]

Sickening.

 

[hahahanoobs]

What if you're not done shopping/buying by the time the commercial break is over? Would probably be better to press 'OK' or show QR code to send/view the ad on your mobile device.

 

[StupidPeopleSuk]

Next headline on your TV screen will be....(right AFTER you get a pop-up saying that a $36,218 transaction was charged to your credit card a few nanseconds ago)....

"Well, you were THINKIN about it, so we just went ahead & ordered it for you, so it would be there tomorrow"... rotflmao hahahaha....

ummm... NO !

 

[scavengerspc]

Sounds pretty intrusive so I hope everyone makes a ton of money at least.

 

[andyross]

Hey mommy, how fast will that video game system I saw on TV get here??

 

[Uncle Al]

Once again, from a personal experience, these combined pre-loaded streaming devices with TV's have a tendancy to be easily hackable. You are far better to add the device to an existing TV, bypass the internal software and load the device seperately for operation. That does make it more secure.

 

[hk2000]

I suspect most TS readers don't bother with these 'streaming' devices. After all, if you're just a little bit tech savvy, you can watch anything you want, on-demand and without any ads! Not to mention, as someone else said these devices are hackers' favorite playgrounds.

 

[StupidPeopleSuk]

Once again, from a personal experience, these combined pre-loaded streaming devices with TV's have a tendancy to be easily hackable. You are far better to add the device to an existing TV, bypass the internal software and load the device seperately for operation. That does make it more secure.

^^THIS^^

Even though all 6 of my TV's are "smart", I have not, and never will, connect any of them to the internet nor use any of the built-in streaming apps.... that's what my Roku's, soundbars, NAS, and Plex media server are for, hehehe

 

[Rocky4040]

NO No No...stop it...bad enough Netflix & Disney+ and god knows who else want to have AD's now as well.

All I see is using this and probably your credit card attached to the account so you can quick buy stuff. Your kids will buy anything and everything they see that they would want. I know someone that had their credit card attached to their PS4. Boy did they get a surprise one their monthly credit card statement because the kid pretty much bought every game he desired and a lot of DLC as well and a butt ton of Minecraft worlds. It was a pretty hard lesson to learn for sure.

They did get some of the money back but not much of it though.