• by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, July 14, 2023

You are watching TV with your remote and smartphone close at hand. Emphasis on the word "hand." 

As part of its next stage of commerce development, Roku has struck a deal with ecommerce site Shopify that enables viewers to make direct purchases via their Roku remote-control devices.

Purchases made via digital media and devices are becoming an increasingly engrained consumer behavior. Nearly 80% of U.S. adults say they buy products on their smartphones. About 70% use desktop computers, and just under 30% utilize tablets, according to a 2022 study by Pew Research Center.

Roku's intent is to make use of the TV remote’s "Ok" button, where a user’s payment is processed through "Roku Pay" technology, and where their credit card/virtual pay date is already in a payment system.

This likely will accelerate other TV-connected technologies, including the presence of QR codes that regularly appear on TV screens.

NBCUniversal and others continue to invest in “shoppable” TV advertising and products using QR codes.  Amazon also links brands advertising through shoppable ads via its Fire TV and FreeVee streaming video platforms.

Even then, to make a purchase with a QR code, viewers need to turn on a mobile phone screen, find the camera function and click on it to launch a link taking them to a website.

Traditional TV and streaming platforms continue to test ways to compete with digital media when it comes to getting consumers closer to commerce, not just for products promoted in conventional ads, but also vis a vis product placement in programming content.

The key for CTV platforms vs. other digital media -- especially display ads -- is the advantage of premium video.

But trusting the link between video content consumers are seeing with purchase technology still needs a lot of building.