QVC Brings Livestream Shopping to YouTube TV

In competition with other brands joining the retail social commerce trend, QVC is the first to launch a livestream shopping channel on YouTube TV.

Need to Know 

  • Home shopping channel QVC has launched a channel on YouTube TV, making it the only livestream shopping channel on the platform.  
  • Users can watch QVC on any platform that accesses YouTube TV. 
  • Livestream shopping has taken off since the onset of the pandemic, offering a more interactive and engaging customer experience than simply shopping online.
  • QVC and its sister brand HSN are among the largest retailers in North America, with 2019 revenues above $8 billion and reaching over 90 million homes through their broadcasts.

Analysis 

Home shopping channel QVC has launched a livestream Youtube TV shopping channel, making it the only livestream shopping channel on the platform. Including its livestreaming services on Hulu and AT&T, QVC now has a combined audience of over eight million subscribers on subscription live TV streaming services. 

Users can watch QVC on any platform with access to YouTube TV: smart TVs, smartphones, tablets, game consoles, and more. The programs offer “an ever-changing collection of premier brands and fresh new products, presented live by interesting personalities, along with award-winning customer service.”

“We’re excited for QVC to bring our unique livestream shopping experience directly to YouTube TV’s viewers amidst their favorite programming,” said David Apostolico, SVP platform strategy, development, and distribution for Qurate Retail Group. 

QVC is one of the strongholds of the home shopping space and is part of Qurate Retail, which brought in $13.5 billion in revenue in 2019. As with nearly every other industry, the global pandemic forced the company to reevaluate its operations and strategy. Migrating to a digital space will allow for more connection and deeper engagement with customers. 

“We’re confident that YouTube TV will bring new customers to QVC, while existing customers who are already on YouTube TV will be excited to see us there, added Apostolico. “We’re determined to meet passionate shoppers everywhere they are engaging with video.”

In 2019, QVC launched a mobile app, Q Anytime, that features a rotating shoppable video content feed. 

Livestream shopping has taken off in recent years, but even more so after the pandemic disrupted the way retail normally operates.

Popular brands like Levi’s, L’Oreal, and even Walmart have experimented with livestream shopping, promising a better customer experience than typically e-commerce can provide. Livestream shopping can operate on social media platforms like TikTok, livestream-specific platforms like Livescale, and now thanks to QVC, on YouTube TV, too.