Pinterest is taking us back to the years of late night infomercials and Home Shopping Network, but for the internet. Aimed straight at the generation that has no idea that people used to call to buy what they saw on television, Pinterest TV will have exclusive, live, shoppable, creator-based shows starting next week.
TikTok, Instagram and Facebook are all experimenting with live-shopping tools, which have proven especially popular in China and other countries outside of the United States. Pinterest has doubled down on its investments in and experiments with shopping technology, and the company also recently explored a potential acquisition by PayPal (though the talks fell through)that could have helped create a shopping super app.
Every week on Pinterest, a collection of influencers will provide themed shows that include products that watchers can purchase. While Pinterest TV is launching with a series of relatively well-known creators, the company is asking other users to reach out and ask for help producing their own shows. The feature will allow streamers to live chat with their audiences and answer questions, while Pinterest will also provide a behind-the-scenes studio for the company's staff to work with creators on building their episodes.
The first set of Pinterest TV shows include Olympic gold medalist and knitter Tom Daley learning skills from grandparents, "Project Runway" alumnus Christian Siriano talking about the most-searched fashion trends and Manny MUA giving beauty tips. The products sold on the show will include items from brands like Allbirds, Outdoor Voices and Crown Affair.
Climate TRACE's data show emissions at the facility-level.Image: Climate TRACE