TikTok Shop Cleared 50 Billion Dollars in the First Half. Then Amazon Joined YouTube's Affiliate Program.
Momentum Works estimates TikTok Shop hit 50.3 billion dollars in global GMV in H1 2026, up 92 percent, with the US back at number one. Three weeks later YouTube opened its shopping affiliate program to Amazon's catalog for US creators.
The Creator Economy
Editorial oversight by the Editor-in-Chief
Two announcements three weeks apart did more to change creator commerce inventory than anything else this quarter.
TikTok Shop's first half
Momentum Works, working with Tabcut data, estimates TikTok Shop reached 50.3 billion dollars in global GMV in the first half of 2026, up 92 percent year over year, which puts it on pace to clear 100 billion dollars for the full year. The United States regained the number one market position at an estimated 11.8 billion dollars in H1, up 103 percent.
These are analyst estimates, not figures TikTok disclosed, and should be attributed as such. The structural detail inside them is more useful than the headline anyway.
The marketplace format, meaning straightforward product listings, now accounts for roughly 51.4 percent of attributed GMV. Live commerce accounts for about 8.2 percent. Video drives discovery at about 40.4 percent. The platform that built its commerce reputation on livestream selling is now, by volume, mostly a marketplace where short-form video does the top of the funnel.
More than 5,700 stores crossed one million dollars in GMV, an eightfold increase year over year, and 506 crossed ten million dollars. Average prices fell in 21 of 27 categories. And eight of the top ten influencers by GMV were new entrants, which suggests the seller leaderboard is still churning rather than consolidating.
Amazon on YouTube
On August 27, YouTube announced that eligible United States creators can now tag Amazon products directly in Shorts, long-form videos and livestreams through YouTube Shopping. It is Amazon's first entry into YouTube's affiliate program.
Commission rates and eligibility thresholds were not disclosed. The significance is catalog depth. YouTube Shopping's prior retail partners covered a fraction of what a creator might plausibly recommend on camera; Amazon's catalog covers most of it. A creator who previously had to send viewers off-platform to an affiliate link can now tag in-product.
What changes for brand programs
If you sell on Amazon, your products just became taggable inside YouTube content without you doing anything, which means creators can build affiliate revenue on your catalog whether or not you have a relationship with them. That is upside on incremental sales and a loss of control over how the product is presented. Both are real.
If you are building creator commerce programs, the TikTok Shop data argues against over-investing in livestream production. Live is 8 percent of attributed GMV. The marketplace listing plus discovery video is more than 90 percent of it. Production budget spent on polished live shows is probably better spent on volume of short-form product content feeding a well-merchandised storefront.
And if you are a creator, the relevant number is that 5,700 stores crossed a million dollars and eight of the top ten sellers by GMV are new. The category is still open.
By The Creator Economy Editorial Team
Editorial oversight by Ismail Oyekan
Ismail Oyekan is the Editor-in-Chief of The Creator Economy and the founder of IMCX (Influencer Marketing Conference & Expo), the premier industry gathering connecting creators, brands, and capital. Named one of the 100 Most Influential People in Influencer Marketing by Influence Weekly, he has managed over $20 million in influencer marketing budgets and worked with A-list talent including Floyd Mayweather and DJ Khaled. He is a sought-after advisor to creator economy startups.
