Walmart, NBCUniversal Partner for Holiday Livestream

NBCUniversal and Walmart have teamed up for a livestream shopping event offering consumers interactive ways to shop within NBC’s E! network.

The effort launches with a shopping show — “LivE! Deals for the Holiday Season” — on Dec. 8 (at 6 p.m. PT/9 p.m. ET) on E! Online.

E! News’ Erin Lim Rhodes (host of E!’s Snapchat series) and Francesca Amiker (E! News correspondent) will host the livestream, which highlights “sought-after" holiday gifts, according to an NBC news release.

The half-hour episode will include an interactive party thrown by the two E! hosts along with some expert friends, including a celebrity chef, fellow mom and self-care enthusiast. The group will share fun and affordable shopping tips as well as a wish list of products from Walmart.

The goal of the show is to blend the engagement of in-person purchasing with the convenience of online shopping, according to the release. Viewers can ask questions about the products in real time and purchase the items, which span cookware, toys and self-care items, among other categories.

“The future of livestream shopping is bright, and we are continuously innovating to meet the evolving needs of our customers in new dynamic and immersive environments," Sarah Henry, head of content, influencer and commerce, Walmart, said in the release. “This season, we know our customers are seeking holiday inspiration at affordable prices, which is why we’re thrilled to partner with NBCUniversal to create an engaging and seamless shopping experience featuring some of our most popular products at prices that are sure to put viewers in the holiday spirit.”

With the scale of NBCUniversal’s One Platform, the media giant’s go-to-market advertising offering for buying and selling premium video, “LivE! Deals for the Holiday Season” will be marketed broadly. The company is encouraging consumers everywhere to visit E! Online for their gift-giving needs this year. In addition, the show will be available on demand to stream through Peacock’s Holiday Hub from Dec. 10-22.

“Our fans at E! always want to be the first to know what is trending in pop culture, including the hottest new products and deals on the market,” Tammy Filler, executive vice president and editor-in-chief, E! News, said in the release. “They have trust in our brand and trust in our talent. Through this partnership with Walmart, we’re providing consumers the opportunity to shop the latest must-haves with a frictionless and fun live experience.”

Walmart has been dabbling in streaming since launching its first shoppable livestream in 2020. Since then, the retailer continues to create experiences for its shoppers, testing and learning across formats, platforms and partners. This year, Walmart has supported more than 350 shoppable livestreams, a 600% increase from last year, per the release.

NBC says this partnership with Walmart builds on its efforts to blend content and commerce and “create unique and engaging experiences for viewers and retailers alike.” Most recently, NBCUniversal’s One Platform Commerce capabilities were on full display at BravoCon 2022, where Bravo fans could shop merch and talent brands at the Bravo Bazaar, powered by NBCUniversal Checkout.

Additionally, the virtual Bravo Bazaar, which NBC says has quadrupled in size since launching in 2021 in the metaverse, remains an immersive, live shopping destination for fans to tap into for their holiday gifts, according to the release.