The news: Target will be the exclusive sponsor and retail partner of NBCUniversal’s forthcoming shoppable digital series “Shop What Happens Live.” Starting June 14, the weekly show will be viewable on Peacock, YouTube, and TikTok, as well as via clips on Instagram.

What is it? NBCU is billing the show as a “first-of-its-kind” experience that moves viewers seamlessly from inspiration to purchase. The series will feature Bravo personalities participating in games and cultural commentary with host Daryn Carp. It will also create opportunities for viewers to discover and purchase a curated selection of Target products inspired by summer trends and Bravo moments.

Viewers watching on their TVs will be able to shop via QR code, while mobile, YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram users can make purchases through text-to-shop and click-to-shop functionality.

Implications for retail: Retailers are experimenting with shoppable TV as a way to shorten the gap between inspiration and purchase. Walmart partnered with NBCU in 2023 to enable viewers to shop products inspired by Bravo’s “Below Deck Mediterranean” reality series, while Crocs recently launched a shoppable TikTok microdrama, “Déja Shoe.”

Rising interest in shoppable TV reflects a broader effort by brands and retailers to insert themselves into cultural conversations. For example, Target’s and Walmart’s ties to the Bravo universe give them pop culture relevance while also boosting their reach with the network’s large and highly engaged audience. The partnership can aid Target as it looks to get shoppers back to its stores and reassert itself as a style destination.

However, retailers looking for immediate returns on shoppable media may be better off focusing on social platforms like TikTok rather than connected TV. Just 7.7% of US adults have made a shoppable media purchase via CTV, according to a December Bizrate Insights and EMARKETER survey. More than twice as many—16%—reported buying through shoppable content on social media, suggesting that microdramas, shoppable livestreams, and affiliate content may be more effective at drawing consumer engagement and sales.