Play it Again Sam...

So, I read today that Tivo and Amazon are joining forces to offer products to viewers.  Apparently, we'll have the ability to order products we see on TV using the Tivo's remote control and Amazon will deliver.  Imagine, you're watching your favorite show and you happen to notice a food processor in a character's home.  You press a button on your Tivo remote and VIOLA!  You've just bought it through Amazon. 

Now, initially I thought, "oh great, I've got to find something new to do", but upon reflection I realized that it really won't hurt TV retailers as much as it will the brick and mortar types.  Why?  Well, because people go to stores to shop. Usually, they have something in mind that they're shopping for before they go.  That's their motivation for leaving home.  Conversely, when someone is watching TV, sitting on the couch, feet up, beer in hand (okay, that was for me), they're usually just zoned out watching the old "boob tube".  Not so much thinking about shopping.  That's where I come in... I make people want to buy product.  Sometimes it's something they need, sometimes they don't, but in the end, they want it.  It's  not as passive as just noticing a nice tchotchke in the background AND we actually explain the product and what it does.  Much different.  Now, in some instances, the Tivo system might work well.  Say if an author is being interviewed on a talk show, but books and music have never sold well on television retailers anyway.

So, while I don't disagree that the Tivo/Amazon concept will work (with two powerhouses like that, c'mon...), I also don't think that it's a threat to the networks that actually SELL products.