Why e-commerce pitches are creeping into TV news

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Set us as preferred If you feel like your favorite morning news or talk show is frequently trying to sell you something, you’re right.Shopping segments within the program content of NBC’s “Today,” ABC’s “Good Morning America” and “CBS Mornings” have grown in recent years.

Using QR codes on the screen, viewers are taken directly to dedicated e-commerce sites where they can put in their orders, with the program getting 20% or more of the revenue generated.The segments typically feature a contributor or expert presenting household items, fashion or personal care products, alongside the host viewers know and trust.

While hosts typically don’t do the actual pitching, their presence provides a seal of approval that helps drive a purchase.The segments are also a staple of talk shows and syndicated programs such as “The View,” “The Jennifer Hudson Show,” “Entertainment Tonight” and “Inside Edition” and have spread to local TV stations.Ownership groups have signed deals with companies that match them up with brands looking for exposure that goes far beyond what they get with a 30-second commercial.“This is the savior for media, if they really focus on it,” said Brian Meehan, co-founder of Knocking, a Connecticut-based company that specializes in embedding e-commerce into TV and digital content.

That may seem bit hyperbolic, but there is little doubt that TV outlets are looking for help as they navigate the upended media industry.Streaming has pulled viewers away from traditional television, driving down ad revenues.

Since 2022, ad spending on broadcast and cable TV has dropped 23%, to $51 billion in 2025.Consumers bypassing or canceling their cable subscriptions are cutting into the fees stations receive from pay TV providers.As a result, both networks and TV stations have had to make signif...