WATCH & SHOP
The Startup Making Streaming Interactive
Hey streamers! Today, let’s talk about Shoppable content 🛍️👇
I spend a lot of time watching series and sports on streaming services. And like many people, I also shop online. Mostly on Amazon, but also on local platforms like Namshi and Noon (Yes, I live in Dubai ;)
At some point, I started asking myself: why not combine both?
One startup in Europe is already doing it. It’s called Jay. Their tech lets you interact with the content while you watch: checking out the actors, the outfits, and even buying something you see on screen.
I recently spoke with Peter Effenberg the founder of Jay, to better understand what shoppable content really is, and how it could change the way we stream.
Peter Effenberg is a media entrepreneur with a unique mix of production and tech experience. He started out as a camera assistant and ended up producing more than 250 documentaries.
Over time, he saw how tech was changing the industry. That shift pushed him to found the Media Tech Hub in Germany and launch a conference to connect creatives and tech professionals: two worlds that often don’t speak the same language.
Today, with Jay, his mission is clear: support local and regional streaming platforms with tech they can actually use. Services that might not have the same resources as Netflix or Prime Video, but often show more flexibility and creativity.
Here’s a recap of our chat 👇
📺 How do you imagine the way we’ll watch TV by 2030?
“TV will become part of a broader internet-first experience. Traditional formats on satellite and cable will mainly remain with older audiences, probably those 60 and up.
For everyone else, streaming, both live and on-demand, will be entirely user-centric, blending features we now associate with social media: likes, shares, seamless content discovery, short and long-form content, and even in-stream shopping.
The television experience will feel more like today’s social media feeds, only with trusted, professionally produced content.”
🤖 Which emerging technology do you believe will shake up the TV industry most?
“It won’t be just one technology. The disruption ahead will come from many small shifts happening at the same time.
The challenge? Most players are still betting too heavily on single trends like AI, without preparing for the broader, more complex changes that are coming.”
❌ What’s something people often misunderstand about the future of TV?
“Even Gen Z still watches news, especially local stories that matter to them. The power of TV is in its variety and the depth of its content.”
🚀 Which new ideas do you think will transform how content gets produced and distributed in the next few years?
“A few big shifts are coming:
1️⃣ Creator communities will play a bigger role in streaming platforms.
2️⃣ AI will help with recommendations, but won’t necessarily be a game-changer for business models.
3️⃣ We’ll see tighter integration between different operating systems within streaming ecosystems.
4️⃣ Content is King, but UX will become Queen.
5️⃣ Premium content wit better quality will be made with smaller budgets, thanks to smarter workflows and closer collaboration between creatives and tech teams.”
💡 How can the TV industry stay both innovative and relevant to real audiences?
“The industry should focus on what it does best: making great content. That means producing diverse formats, news, documentaries, dramas, entertainment, etc.
We should also trust the viewers. They’re more curious and discerning than we give them credit for. They just want content, delivered in fresh and engaging ways.”
Now let’s switch things up a bit. I asked Peter to imagine what TV could look like in the near future, but with a twist.
The rules? He could only pick between “This or That” options 😄
The fun part? You can play along too!
What’s your answer?👇
[Peter] → “Fragmentation”
[Peter] → “Both, definitely. The question is dramatically wrong”
[Peter] → “Both”
[Peter] → “Both”
[Peter] → “Both”
[Peter] → “Both”
[Peter] → “Engagement metrics. Much more of it!”
[Peter] → “Single Screen”
[Peter] → “Smart TVs”
[Peter] → “Both, for a long time Remote control will stay”
[Peter] → “None of it.”
[Peter] → “Both and in the best way connected”
[Peter] → “Definitely human-made.”
Interactive formats or Classic narrative?
[Peter] → “Traditional narratives will become interactive”
Big thanks to Peter, and to you, the readers, for joining me in this little “interactive” experiment 😉
Enjoy your weekend, and see you on Monday for a new edition of The Streaming Lab MENA Insights.