NBCU Serving ShoppableTV During French Open Tennis

Weeks after announcing the launch of its ShoppableTV platform, NBC Sports is letting French Open viewers buy items from the Lacoste X Djokovic Collection via their TVs and smartphones.

During Novak Djokovic's matches on NBC, viewers will be alerted to an “On-Air Shoppable Moment.”  Consumers will be told how to use their phones to scan a QR Code, which takes the phone to the Lacoste website. Among items for purchase are outfits tennis champion Novak Djokovic is wearing during his matches, one bright orange, the other black and white.

NBCU sees its ShoppableTV platform as a way to take more control of the advertising and marketing process by utilizing the scale and reach of TV to generate awareness and using ecommerce to rack up measurable sales results, NBCU gets fees for setting up the Shoppable moment and a percentage of sales generated.

Related: Golf Channel Fathers’ Day Push Tees Up ShoppableTV

"We are thrilled to officially launch ShoppableTV by pairing two iconic brands: Lacoste and the French Open. For the first time ever, tennis fans can shop the Lacoste X Novak Djokovic Collection while watching him play in real time," said Josh Feldman, executive VP, head of marketing and advertising creative, NBCUniversal. "And this is just the beginning. Whether its sports fans eager to rep their favorite player or team, or pop-culture followers inspired to try the latest trend, ShoppableTV will revolutionize the way millions of viewers will watch television and transform favorite shows and major events into opportunities for commerce.”

ShoppableTV was first tested during a Mother’s Day gift edition of the Jill’s Steals and Deals segment on the Today show.

The ShoppableTV segment lasted less than five minutes, but it generated about 50,000 scans of the QR code and resulted in hundreds of thousands in incremental sales, the network said.

NBC's Golf Channel is also using ShoppableTV to sell memberships to its GolfPass program.

Other NBCU units expected to participate in ShoppableTV include NBC, Telemundo, Bravo, E!, CNBC Prime and USA Network.

Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.