How Appointment-To-View TV Shapes Our Shopping

A new wave of influence; as Only Murders In The Building enjoys success with series 5 – brands are also enjoying a moment in the TV spotlight & finding new fans (Photo by XNY/Star Max/GC Images)

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The small screen is no longer just about escapism. Appointment-to-view TV has become a cultural stage, where style and substance merge to shape consumer behaviour in ways few other platforms can. And right now, few shows capture this better than Only Murders in the Building.

Season five opened to 5.7 million viewers across Hulu and Disney+ in its debut week, a figure that underlines the appetite for shows that blend humour, mystery, and glamour with multi-generational reach. That audience isn’t simply watching; they are constantly absorbing, interpreting, and weaving what they see into their own lives. Shopping doesn’t switch on and off, wish lists are written in real time, shaped by every scene and every signal.

When Fashion Becomes the Story

This season, it wasn’t just the script keeping fans talking. Selena Gomez, stepping out in Mackage’s Carmela coat, delivered a cultural moment that rippled far beyond the Arconia. The coat wasn’t a quiet styling decision, it became a talking point: a layer of character, a signal of sophistication, and a symbol of how storytelling wardrobes can create global demand.

So what does this mean for a brand featured in one of Hulu’s most-watched series? In short: cultural capital that money alone can’t buy. For Mackage, the Canadian outerwear house long known for blending high-performance protection with high-fashion polish, this is a defining moment. Once considered a niche player in luxury coats, Mackage has spent years carefully positioning itself as a lifestyle brand with global ambitions.

As Tanya Golesic, CEO of Mackage, told me exclusively:

“By wearing the Carmela coat on Only Murders in the Building, Selena Gomez highlights the powerful link between cultural influence and consumer demand, further strengthening Mackage’s profile across key global markets. By aligning with talent who embody confidence and modern sophistication, we continue to strengthen our position in the lifestyle luxury category and drive meaningful growth with today’s discerning consumer.”

This is more than a coat on a screen. It’s a demonstration of how style, character, and story converge to create desire, and for Mackage, it plants their name firmly in the conversation with the biggest players in lifestyle luxury.

Appointment-to-View as Anticipation Economy

Similarly with the latest series of The White Lotus earlier this year, it was clear that prestige TV has become a proving ground for brands who want more than product placement. Partnerships were inked before the first frame aired: H&M launched a capsule collection designed by the show’s costume designer; American Express created luxury retreats at Four Seasons resorts; and Supergoop! translated the show’s aesthetic into skincare kits.

The lesson? Anticipation sells. Appointment-to-view is no longer about waiting for the water-cooler moment; it is about building the desire in advance, embedding brands into the DNA of the show. And when audiences finally sit down to watch, they’re primed not only to be entertained, but to step into the world being built on screen.

A Wider Consumer Canvas

What makes Only Murders fascinating is the breadth of its ripple effect. It isn’t confined to outerwear or even luxury fashion. The influence stretches into everyday life. Food brands have leaned in with playful mystery campaigns. Beauty has drawn on Selena Gomez’s own Rare Beauty label to spark watch parties and product tie-ins. Even the Arconia itself, the show’s iconic Upper West Side apartment building has inspired mugs, throws, and quirky merchandise that allow fans to bring a slice of the story home.

For many though, the TV influence and fandom goes beyond some traditional merchandise, it’s a sophisticated shorthand between consumer and character. Sometimes it’s about securing the exact bag, lipstick, or jacket seen on screen; other times, as Emily in Paris has shown with its instantly sold-out accessories, it’s the thrill of owning something that quietly signals to ourselves that we too are part of that world.

This matters because it shows that the power of appointment-to-view television is not about one neat category win. It is about immersion. From fashion to food to homewares, these worlds invite consumers to borrow a piece of the narrative, to blur the line between the show they watch and the lifestyle they live.

What Brands Must Understand

Streaming TV does not set the fashion agenda in the way a Paris runway might. But it does something equally potent: it turns clothing, décor, and even snacks into storylines. When consumers buy in, they aren’t simply acquiring products; they’re stepping into a cultural conversation.

The challenge for brands is not to scramble for last-minute placements or hope for viral aftershocks. It is to plan, invest, and treat these shows as cultural ecosystems. From outerwear in Manhattan to swimwear in Thailand, the lesson is the same: when people care about the story, they want to carry a fragment of it into their own lives.

Appointment-to-view TV isn’t just reshaping entertainment. It’s reshaping shopping. And as a consumer advocate, I see the opportunity clearly: brands that respect the audience, enrich the narrative, and deliver products with both authenticity and imagination, will find themselves not simply selling, but starring.