Twitch is changing from a place to watch videos to a place to shop. Twitch has released a new, built-in shopping feature for livestreams, powered by Amazon Ads. This is a big step forward for the livestreaming industry.
This new feature lets people buy things directly from live streams without interrupting their viewing experience. It combines shopping with community involvement in a way that works well.
This new ad format is a big step toward combining shopping experiences that go beyond traditional ads. The feature aims to maintain user interest and assist businesses in achieving quantifiable objectives. This technology lets brands connect with communities that are genuinely interested in their products and turn real creator moments into instant product discovery and sales.
It gets rid of a common problem in influencer marketing: viewers used to have to remember a product, switch apps, and finish a purchase somewhere else. Now, they can buy it with just one click during a live broadcast. This new format makes it easy for people who are just watching to buy things in a way that feels natural and fits with the platform.
e.l.f. Cosmetics Launches the First Campaign
e.l.f. Cosmetics is the first brand to test this new way of doing business, and they are leading the way in this new era of live commerce. The beauty brand is using its official Twitch channel, e.l.f.YOU!, to run the shoppable part of the campaign called “eyes.lips.first.”
e.l.f. started on Twitch in 2020 to connect with gaming subcultures and give female creators more power. This partnership is a natural next step for them.
The e.l.f.YOU! channel has grown into a lively community since then, with over 43.3 million minutes of video watched and 800,000 chat messages sent. This shows how powerful the brand is in the beauty and gaming worlds.
For e.l.f., this move is about making a real connection with its community stronger. Patrick O’Keefe, Chief Integrated Marketing Communications Officer at e.l.f. Beauty, said, “When we launched e.l.f.YOU! on Twitch, our vision was simple yet bold: to meet our community where they play, create, and connect…” “We didn’t just want to be on Twitch; we wanted to make it better, give voices that are often ignored a chance to be heard, and show that beauty is everywhere.”
This project is part of a larger trend of platforms putting money into social commerce, which has been slow to catch on in the U.S. even though it is very popular in other parts of the world. This isn’t the first time Twitch has tried to do live commerce; the site tried out similar features in 2017 but then stopped using them.
However, industry experts think that now is a better time because streaming infrastructure has improved, people’s habits have changed since the pandemic, and the U.S. live commerce market is expected to be worth $35 billion by 2024.
Amazon Ads powers the feature, which lets brands like e.l.f. use Amazon’s extensive retail media data to better target and measure their campaigns. Sarah Iooss, head of the US Agency at Amazon Ads, said, “Twitch is where communities and creators connect through real-time engagement, and now, through shoppable moments…” It’s a great example of how Amazon Ads is helping brands connect with customers in more natural, interactive, and fun ways.
What this Means for the Future of Twitch
If this new feature works, it could lead to a more stable way for Twitch and its creators to make money. As creators look for new ways to make money besides ad splits and subscriptions, integrated shopping features give them a direct way to turn high engagement into sales.
This move also shows that Twitch is dedicated to expanding its advertising options beyond high-impact video and display ads and creator sponsorships, giving brands a full-funnel way to reach its valuable audience.
The announcement was made before TwitchCon San Diego 2025, where Patrick O’Keefe from e.l.f. will talk more about this new partnership on a panel called “The Future of Co-Creation: Creator & Brand Team-Ups.”
As live-streaming commerce grows, all eyes will be on Twitch and e.l.f. Cosmetics to see if they can successfully combine gaming culture with easy shopping. If they can, it could create a new way for entertainment platforms to make money off of their loyal fans without sacrificing the real experiences that made them loyal.
