Amazon Expands Shoppable TV Tools Across Prime Video via X-Ray and Mobile App Updates

Amazon on Thursday introduced a suite of shoppable features for Prime Video, enabling customers to buy products showcased in movies, television shows, and live broadcasts directly through its platform. As first reported by TechCrunch, the e-commerce giant is embedding commerce options into its established X-Ray viewing interface and launching a new tool called "Shop the Scene" that uses Amazon Lens computer vision technology.

The updates refine Amazon's interactive strategy following the debut of its "Shop the Show" second-screen experience last year. While the previous iteration required customers to open the Amazon Shopping mobile application and manually enter specific search terms to find tied-in merchandise, the new system automatically detects active playback and surfaces items directly to viewers.

Under the new X-Ray interface, viewers can pause a stream on Fire TV devices and press up on the remote control to reveal a dedicated Shop tab displaying items linked to the video. Viewers who open the Amazon Shopping app on a mobile device while watching a supported program will now automatically be directed to a synchronized feed reflecting the exact scene playing on screen.

Within the mobile app, users can tap on visual elements within an image to initiate a search via Amazon Lens. The computer vision tool scans the selected frame to locate exact matches or related items across Amazon's inventory, covering categories such as character clothing, interior decor, and set props.

Amazon noted that the visual search mechanism may not always deliver identical item matches, as on-screen talent frequently wear bespoke costumes or high-end designer labels not listed on the retail platform. In those instances, the system provides recommendations designed to replicate the overall aesthetic using items listed by Amazon or its third-party sellers.

The "Shop the Scene" feature is currently live on iOS and Android for mobile users in the United States, launching across more than 600 streaming titles. At the same time, Amazon is expanding its overall "Shop the Show" experience from 1,300 titles to more than 8,000 in the U.S., encompassing Prime Originals, licensed catalog titles, and live sports events.

The rollout places Amazon among a growing group of streaming and technology providers attempting to build direct commerce streams into entertainment platforms. Competitors including YouTube, Roku, NBCUniversal's Peacock, and Disney have similarly introduced interactive commerce tools, shoppable connected TV advertisements, and remote-controlled checkout systems in recent years.