Shopping And Entertainment Collide In Amazon Prime’s New Show

You doubtlessly already know that Amazon has become a Big Tech titan due to both its e-commerce domination and its widely popular streaming platform, Prime.

And now there’s a new show that seems designed to capitalize on both of those strengths.

Hosted by JB Smoove

The show, called “Buy It Now,” borrows some elements from the hit series “Shark Tank.” Essentially, participants will pitch their ideas to a panel of investors who, along with 100 ordinary people, will judge the products being presented.

Those whose ideas are selected will be rewarded with a dedicated section of the Amazon website where their products will be sold. One participant from each episode will also receive $20,000.

Funnyman JB Smoove is slated to serve as the host and the panel will consist of resident judges as well as “a star-studded rotating panel of celebrity panelists,” Amazon explained.

Among those already confirmed as future panelists are actors Gwyneth Paltrow and Anthony Anderson, designer Christian Siriano, and skateboarding legend Tony Hawk.

What viewers can expect

Amazon has a clear motivation to make “Buy It Now” an entertaining series. Not only would its popularity help bring new subscribers to Prime, but at least some of those viewers are likely to visit the retail site to learn more about the products they’ve seen presented.

So you might consider the series to be a thinly veiled advertisement for Amazon — but with JB Smoove’s personality on display and a rotation of celebrities serving as judges, this could turn out to be a fun time for everyone involved.

The first three episodes are scheduled to premiere on Oct. 30, with the 13-episode season ending early next year. A podcast will air the day after each episode with additional behind-the-scenes information about the show.

Chris Agee October 1st, 2024

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