QVC Debuts on YouTube TV

Quarate Retail Group's QVC last week made its debut on YouTube TV, a live TV streaming service with more than 3 million subscribers. YouTube TV is available across smart TVs, streaming media players, smartphone apps, tablets, computers, game consoles, and smart displays. QVC is currently the only livestream shopping channel on  YouTube TV, according to Quarte Retail. It now joins YouTube TV’s lineup of more than 85  channels, which feature local and national news, sports and entertainment, along with movies and TV shows on-demand. 

QVC’s programming on YouTube TV includes such shows as “In the Kitchen with David®,” which is watched in nearly 1 million homes across the U.S. during each of its two editions per week. 

“We’re excited for QVC to bring its unique livestream shopping experience directly to YouTube TV’s viewers amidst their favorite programming,” said David Apostolico, senior vice president of platform strategy, development and distribution for Qurate Retail. “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. We’re determined to meet passionate shoppers everywhere they're engaging with video.”

Total Retail's Take: It makes sense that QVC, a world leader in multiplatform video commerce, has debuted on YouTube TV. After all, livestream shopping is on the upswing. Livestream shopping, a form of online shopping that's interactive and takes place in real time, has gained wide popularity in China over the past several years. With more people staying home for their entertainment and shopping needs as a result of the pandemic, livestream shopping is gaining popularity in the U.S. as well. This isn't the first time QVC has experimented with livestream shopping. In fact, previously QVC was added to Hulu + Live TV and AT&T TV, and with this announcement, it's now available to more than 8 million live TV streaming subscribers in total.

QVC also said the launch is part of an extended collaboration on broader YouTube platforms, as well as the retailer's continuing plan to expand the reach of its curated broadcast and video commerce experiences across new media and digital commerce platforms. These platforms include over-the-top devices and services, shoppable apps, social media, digital over-the-air networks, mobile apps, and websites. QVC currently reaches 380 million homes worldwide through its TV broadcasts and millions more through its streaming, digital, and social platforms.