Twitch Executive Says 'Trusted Voices' Are the Key to Unlocking U.S. Live Commerce

Twitch's Formula for "Live Commerce x Trust"

Twitch's Sarah Iooss Says 'Trusted Voices' are Key to Unlocking U.S. Live Commerce

While live shopping has long dominated Asian markets, its adoption in the United States has hinged less on functionality and more on the depth of viewer connection.

On February 15, 2026, in an interview with Beet.TV, Sarah Iooss, Director of Global Agency & Global Twitch Ads at Amazon, shared her perspective on the US live commerce market. Iooss's argument is clear: to bring live shopping -- which has grown to a $1 trillion annual market in Asia -- to the US, "trusted voices" are far more critical than "features."

This statement came in the context of Twitch launching shoppable features integrated with Amazon Ads in October 2025. While commerce functionality continues to mature, the platform's own executive acknowledges that the "human" element is the essential challenge.

Industry Landscape

The US live commerce market is in a phase of rapid growth. According to eMarketer analysis, US livestream e-commerce sales grew approximately 50% year-over-year in 2025, and are projected to reach $35 billion in 2026. However, these numbers are orders of magnitude smaller compared to the Chinese market.

In China, the live commerce market is projected to reach $1.14 trillion in 2026, with live commerce accounting for approximately 20% of all e-commerce. Douyin alone has an annual GMV of $375 billion, while Taobao Live reaches $550 billion. In contrast, only 12% of US consumers have ever made a purchase through a livestream.

This gap is not about features. TikTok Shop, Amazon Live, YouTube Shopping, and other platforms have been rapidly building out infrastructure in the US. TikTok Shop expects to reach over $20 billion in GMV in the US in 2026, growing to represent approximately 20% of social commerce. Yet the biggest factor preventing the gap with China from closing is precisely what Iooss identifies: the maturity of the "trust ecosystem."

From "Passion Points" to Purchases -- Twitch's Unique Strategy

Iooss describes Twitch's strength as "a place where communities form around passion points." Streamers broadcast for hours at a time, building rapport with their viewers. As a result, streamers become "trusted voices" for their audience.

To convert this relationship into commerce, Amazon has built concrete mechanisms. "We've built tools that allow purchases to be completed directly from a Twitch stream," Iooss explained. In October 2025, e.l.f. Cosmetics became the first partner to launch Twitch's in-stream shoppable feature. The feature, which enables viewers to purchase products without leaving the stream, is grounded in the design principle of "never interrupting the viewing experience."

Amazon has also expanded Amazon Live's shoppable streams to Prime Video and Freevee, extending "in-stream purchasing" beyond gaming into the broader entertainment space. Iooss stated that integrating these signals is "essential for accountability and performance improvement."

Notably, Iooss questioned the concept of the marketing funnel itself. She pointed out that "the funnel is no longer the right metaphor -- purchase decisions can emerge from anywhere," emphasizing the need for measurement solutions like Amazon Marketing Cloud. In live commerce, the boundaries between awareness, consideration, and purchase have dissolved, and traditional linear funnel models cannot accurately capture performance.

Impact and Implications for E-Commerce Businesses

Iooss's comments and live commerce market trends offer clear implications for e-commerce businesses.

Community-first design is essential. Live commerce conversion rates can reach up to 30%, far exceeding traditional e-commerce. However, these numbers only hold when a trust relationship exists between viewers and broadcasters. Simply adopting streaming functionality will not deliver results.

Micro-influencer activation is key. Research shows that 69% of consumers trust influencer recommendations over direct brand messaging. In particular, micro and nano creators with smaller followings tend to outperform larger influencers in engagement and conversion efficiency. Prioritizing "trust density" over scale in creator selection is crucial.

Platform selection should be multi-layered. Twitch excels in gaming and hobby verticals, while TikTok Shop is well-suited for a broad range of consumer goods. Amazon Live offers unique advantages through retail data integration. The pragmatic approach is to select platforms that align with your products and target audiences, then expand incrementally.

Measurement models need to be rebuilt. As Iooss points out, traditional funnel-based measurement does not work for live commerce. To track how upper-funnel brand experiences drive purchases, consider adopting integrated measurement tools like Amazon Marketing Cloud.

Conclusion

The US live commerce market is transitioning from the infrastructure phase to the "trust-building" phase. Platforms like Twitch, TikTok Shop, and Amazon Live are rapidly expanding their capabilities, but technology alone will not replicate the explosive adoption seen in China.

In Iooss's words, livestream viewers are people who "actively participate in a community." They are fundamentally different from passive TV viewers consuming content. Presenting products on top of this active engagement and trust relationship is what generates high conversion rates.

The next key milestones for e-commerce businesses to watch are the expansion of Amazon's live commerce features through the second half of 2026, and whether TikTok Shop achieves its projected milestone of capturing a majority of US social buyers in 2026. In an era where "who speaks" is becoming as important as -- or more important than -- "what you sell," building creator relationships now is a strategic imperative.