New X-Ray and visual search tools will let viewers discover products linked to films, shows, and live sports without having to search for them manually.
Amazon is expanding the connection between its streaming and e-commerce businesses by introducing new shopping features across Prime Video. The company is making it easier for viewers to identify and explore products associated with the content they are watching, including films, television shows, and live sports.
The move builds on Amazon’s existing Shop the Show feature, introduced last year through its mobile shopping app. The earlier system required viewers to search for the phrase “shop the show’ to find products connected with a particular title. The latest changes make that process more visible and accessible.
X-Ray gets a new shopping option.
One of the main changes involves Prime Video’s X-Ray feature. Traditionally, X-Ray has provided information about actors, characters, music and other details while users watch content. Amazon is now adding a Shop tab to the experience. Viewers using a Fire TV remote can pause a programme and access X-Ray, where the new section will display products related to the on-screen content.
Purchases still take place through Amazon’s shopping app. The app can recognise what the viewer is watching and provide a shopping feed connected to the title and moment being viewed.
‘Shop the Scene’ uses visual search.
Amazon is also introducing Shop the Scene, which uses the company’s Amazon Lens visual-search technology. The feature lets viewers select an image from a programme and search for products inspired by items in the scene. These could include clothing worn by characters, home décor or other objects visible on screen.
The technology does not necessarily identify the exact product. Costumes may be custom-made, sourced from luxury brands or otherwise unavailable through Amazon. Instead, the visual search system can provide similar products that resemble the item shown. The new Shop the Scene feature is currently available on iOS and Android in the US and covers more than 600 titles.
Amazon is also expanding its broader Shop the Show experience from around 1,300 titles to more than 8,000 titles in the US. The expanded catalogue includes Amazon Prime Originals, selected licensed content and live sports.
The development also highlights how streaming services are increasingly looking beyond subscriptions and advertising for additional commercial opportunities. By allowing viewers to discover products while watching content, Amazon is bringing its retail business closer to the entertainment experience. For consumers, the change could make it easier to find products they notice on screen. For the wider streaming industry, it represents another step towards making television and online shopping increasingly interconnected.
