Amazon has added HSN’s Shop By Remote shopping app to its Fire TV and Fire TV Stick functionality.
The move, first reported in October, marks the first time an interactive shopping network app was deployed on Amazon’s popular streaming media devices.
“This is an important step in our effort to advance the practice of ‘boundaryless retail,’ whereby consumers can watch HSN programming and shop,” said Peter Ruben, affiliate relations executive VP at the broadcast retailer.
Under the arrangement, all purchases made through the app will be handled end-to-end by HSN, including account management, product payment and fulfillment, explained John McDevitt, the tele-merchant’s advanced services VP.
It is unclear, however, what manner of revenue-sharing the new over-the-top (OTT) partners are employing. “We do not discuss the financial terms of any of our distribution agreements,” McDevitt told TWICE through a spokesperson.
The app, developed in 2006, allows users to shop more than 50,000 products and view live and on-demand programming. It can also be found on Apple TV, Roku, TiVo, Comcast, Optimum, Verizon FiOS and, most recently, the Google Play platforms.
“We’re excited to bring HSN’s Shop by Remote app to our Fire TV customers,” added Amazon Fire TV general manager Tim Twerdahl. “This new interactive shopping experience will complement the broad array of channels, apps and games currently available on Amazon Fire TV devices.”
Fire TV users can find the HSN app within the “Apps and Games” section under the “Movies and TV” category.
The addition follows the recent introduction of Amazon’s Alexa digital assistant and 4K support to its Fire TV line.
In other Fire news, Amazon said it would return full-disk encryption to its Fire OS-based devices with an over-the-air update this spring, The Verge reported. The retailer decided to remove the encryption capability last fall due to customer disinterest, but will restore it following the brouhaha between Apple and the FBI over government access to iPhone data.
