Shopping Comes To Apple TV

Customers have become more a than a little familiar with shopping on their computers or any manner of mobile device. However, Shopgate thinks a little more app-based foundation can do the same thing for TV sales of a new generation.

Shopgate announced Friday (March 11) that it has added Apple TV apps to its catalog of shoppable portals, allowing any retailer to create its own path to purchase through Apple TV. The service, which debuted at SXSW Interactive on Saturday (March 12), highlights the omnicommerce functionality of selling on a large-screen format through partnerships with two NBA teams — Kevin Durant’s Oklahoma City Thunder and Stephen Curry’s league-leading Golden State Warriors.

“Both the Golden State Warriors and the Oklahoma City Thunder will be playing back-to-back the night of our launch party,” Casey Gannon, vice president of marketing at Shopgate, said in a statement. “We will stream both games and show how easily fans can quickly order the latest team gear. The shopping experience on the Apple TV is truly a step above what you have on mobile devices and [a] natural addition to the customer buying journey. Looking for a Steph Curry or Kevin Durant jersey on a 70-inch LCD TV is almost like shopping in person but a lot more comfortable.”

Shopgate CEO Marc Biel explained that, aside from the timely SXSW demonstration, his company’s announcement should be a boon for small retailers who may have wanted to jump on board the Apple “T-commerce” train but didn’t have the resources to develop an app for the relatively niche medium. Retailers that sign on with Shopgate can choose from packages that include turnkey shoppable Apple TV apps — much like the one Gameday Merchandising will use to sell jerseys and other NBA paraphernalia during the Thunder and Warriors games over the weekend.