YouTube has decided to turn Ads into instant storefronts
And you can interact with them using your phone.
We’re long past the days when watching TV meant just sitting back and letting ads wash over us. These days, it’s all about multitasking—browsing your phone while a show plays in the background, maybe even Googling that cool jacket someone wore in a commercial. YouTube knows this, too. And now, it’s turning that habit into a full-blown strategy.
At its annual Upfront presentation this week, YouTube announced a major update aimed at connected TV (CTV) viewers: a new shoppable ad format that lets people browse and buy products directly from their TV screens. It’s like turning commercials into mini storefronts, allowing viewers to scroll through product feeds with their remotes, select what interests them, and either scan a QR code to buy it instantly or send all the product links to their phones with a press-and-hold button.
Oluwaseun Bamisile
This move isn’t random. It’s grounded in how people actually watch YouTube today. According to Nielsen, YouTube has been the number one platform for streaming watch time in the U.S. for over two years, even ahead of Netflix and Disney+. And in Q1 2025, TVs, not phones, were the primary screen for YouTube viewing in the U.S. That shift explains a lot: YouTube is betting that big-screen viewing isn’t just for entertainment anymore; it’s a gateway to instant shopping.
The numbers back it up. YouTube says its CTV campaigns drove over 50 million monthly average conversions in Q4 2024. Plus, a survey by Kantar found that U.S. viewers ranked YouTube as the top platform for discovering brand info, beating out social media platforms and search engines alike.
It’s not just YouTube chasing this vision. Amazon, for instance, recently announced a similar shoppable format for Prime Video. But YouTube’s massive 2.5 billion active users, compared to Prime Video's 210 million users, give it a serious edge in turning TV into a commerce channel.
For viewers, this could mean less of that frustrating “what was that product again?” moment after an ad ends. And for advertisers, it might finally bridge the gap between a flashy TV spot and an actual sale.
Emmanuel Oyedeji
