The news: Whatnot launched its first national campaign as it looks to build on rising interest in live shopping.

The spot features New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo alongside a selection of Whatnot sellers (and his mother) and showcases popular categories on the marketplace, including collectibles, food, and home décor.

The ad will debut during the New York Giants game on Sunday, October 25, and subsequently air during major NFL and NBA games as well as “Dancing with the Stars,” “The Voice,” and Bravo shows through the remainder of the year.

The strategy: Whatnot aims to broadcast live shopping’s appeal to a wider audience while simultaneously defending its position as one of the medium’s dominant platforms. The company claims to hold a 60% share of the live shopping market in Europe and North America, it told Adweek, and is on track to generate over $16 billion in sales worldwide.

However, it faces stiff competition from TikTok, which has made a point of prioritizing live shopping content to capture engagement and drive sales. TikTok Live sales more than doubled YoY in the first half of 2026, and the company expects live formats to play a larger role in holiday shopping on the platform this year. Sixty percent of US TikTok Shop users say they are somewhat or very likely to use TikTok Shop Live to shop this holiday season, according to a Simon-Kucher survey.

Implications for brands: The rapid growth of Whatnot and TikTok Shop Live points to live shopping’s growing influence as both a sales channel and an avenue for customer engagement. We expect US livestream retail ecommerce sales to jump 35% this year to $19.76 billion, while the number of livestreaming buyers will rise 9.5%.

While the channel accounts for a small portion of overall ecommerce sales, brands are leaning into livestreams as an opportunity to connect with culture, drive discovery, and educate and engage with shoppers.