Amazon is simplifying the process of purchasing items while watching television. On Thursday, the e-commerce titan unveiled several new tools enabling viewers to explore products featured in thousands of Prime Video movies and shows. Built into the existing X-Ray overlay—which currently provides actor details, character insights, and soundtrack details—the system now features an Amazon Lens-powered “shop the scene” capability along with additional enhancements.
These enhancements build upon the previous year’s introduction of “Shop the Show,” a dual-screen retail concept powered by the Amazon mobile app. Rather than cluttering the screen or interrupting playback, users could manually enter “shop the show” into the Amazon app’s search field to discover items tied to the active broadcast, film, or sporting match.
However, that initial tool was frequently overlooked. The latest additions aim to bring product recommendations directly to the forefront, making them significantly simpler to find.
Amazon is far from alone in merging e-commerce with streaming content to unlock fresh revenue avenues. YouTube has permitted creators to showcase merchandise shelves while delivering interactive smart TV commercials. In 2023, Peacock debuted its Must ShopTV integration allowing audiences to purchase featured items directly. Roku similarly enables remote-driven purchasing, while Disney has tested shoppable television formats across interactive ad campaigns on Hulu, Disney+, and ESPN.
To access shopping items via X-Ray, viewers simply activate the interface by pressing up on their Fire TV remote. From there, a dedicated Shop tab presents item collections tailored to the current program. To complete a purchase, opening the Amazon Shopping app automatically syncs with the streaming media, pulling up a real-time feed of available products matched to the scene.
The companion device workflow outside of X-Ray has received upgrades as well. Audiences no longer need to type a manual search query; launching the Amazon Shopping app while streaming instantly directs users to the dedicated landing page for that specific program.
Users can tap any frame to utilize Amazon Lens, the company’s visual search tool, to locate items inspired by set decorations, character wardrobes, and props. Dubbed “Shop the Scene,” this functionality won’t always yield exact product matches, as screen wardrobe items may be custom-made or from luxury designers not sold on Amazon. Nonetheless, it serves as a helpful starting point for discovering similar styles and alternatives.
The “Shop the Scene” functionality is currently rolling out across iOS and Android devices for U.S. users, supporting over 600 movies and television shows at launch.
Furthermore, Amazon is expanding its “Shop the Show” catalog in the U.S. from 1,300 titles to over 8,000, encompassing Prime Originals, popular licensed titles, and live sports broadcasts.