I’ve been watching eBay Live roll out in Canada this year, and I think they’re getting something very right: they’re not treating Live Shopping like a separate thing that suddenly needs its own audience and reason to exist.

They’re putting it where it already makes sense.

eBay Live officially launched nationally in Canada in February 2026, with collectibles at the centre of the launch and programming connected to Fan Expo Vancouver and the Collectors Supershow in Toronto. That wasn't an accidental choice. eBay already had the sellers, the buyers, the collectors and the communities. Live simply gave those people another way to interact.

Why does eBay Live work so naturally with collectibles?

Think about the behaviour that already exists around collecting: discovery, expertise, scarcity, auctions, storytelling, fandom and the thrill of finding something you’ve been looking for.

Those are also many of the things that make Live Shopping work.

There is a reason to watch. There is a reason to ask questions. There can be a reason to act now. Most importantly, there are people on both sides of the transaction who actually care about what they are talking about.

By May, eBay Live Canada Head Karthik Rajendran was already talking publicly about adoption growing week over week and about eBay evolving the platform alongside Canada's collecting community.

But one part of eBay's approach stands out to me in particular: how they're connecting Live Shopping with physical events.

Live Shopping can let you “be there” without being there

Rajendran described eBay's presence at events like Calgary Fan Expo and the Toronto Sports Card Expo as a way to bridge what is happening on the show floor with livestream shoppers across Canada.

That is exactly it.

Live allows you to be there without actually being there.

This week at FAN EXPO Canada in Toronto, eBay Live is taking that idea quite literally. Its programming includes live signings, exclusive comics and collectibles, celebrity-autographed merchandise and sellers broadcasting from the event itself. The current eBay Live schedule includes multiple FAN EXPO streams running throughout the event.

Maybe you can't get to Toronto. Maybe you can't stand in the autograph line. Maybe one of your favourite sellers is there while you're sitting somewhere else in Canada.

You can still participate in a piece of the experience.

And you can shop it.

That is a much more interesting use of Live Commerce than simply pointing a camera at products and announcing, “We’re live!”

The question I ask brands about Live Shopping

When I work with brands on Live Shopping strategy, one of the first things I want to understand is why someone would actually want to show up live.

What are they getting that they couldn't just as easily get from a product page?

Sometimes that answer is access. Sometimes it's expertise. It could be entertainment, a demonstration, the opportunity to ask questions, a limited offer or simply the feeling of participating in something while it is happening.

With something like FAN EXPO, the reason is incredibly clear.

But the same thinking can apply well beyond collectibles.

A beauty brand could turn an expert consultation or product demonstration into a shoppable event. A fashion retailer could take customers inside a launch or styling session. A founder could introduce a new product and answer questions directly. A retailer could make an in-store event accessible to customers who live hundreds of kilometres away.

The technology isn't the strategy.

The reason to watch is.

What can brands learn from eBay Live Canada?

I think the lesson is bigger than eBay.

Instead of starting with:

“Where can we go live?”

Start with:

“What are we already doing that would become more valuable, more accessible or more shoppable if people could experience it live?”

That changes the conversation.

Live becomes part of the broader customer journey rather than another piece of content the marketing team now has to produce.

And this is also why I don't believe there is one universal model for Live Shopping. What works for eBay shouldn't simply be copied by a beauty company, fashion brand, wellness business or traditional retailer.

eBay's model works because it belongs in the eBay ecosystem.

The opportunity for every other brand is to figure out what Live looks like in theirs.

Is Live Shopping growing in Canada?

Yes - although Canada is still an emerging Live Shopping market compared with parts of Asia and the United States.

eBay Live's national Canadian launch in February 2026 and its continued expansion through sellers, collectibles and live event activations are another indication that Live Commerce is becoming a more established part of Canadian ecommerce. eBay has said it is seeing new users discover Live and adoption increase week over week.

For brands, that doesn't mean everyone suddenly needs to start livestreaming.

It means it's worth understanding where Live fits before the market gets considerably noisier.

At Live Selling School, that's exactly the work I do with brands: figuring out the platform, format, offer, show flow, talent and strategy that make sense for the business — rather than going Live simply because the technology exists.

And since I've spent this entire article talking about FAN EXPO, I should probably acknowledge another part of my career.

Along with a few decades of broadcasting and live selling, I've also accumulated a rather long list of film and television credits — often appearing alongside actors who eventually find themselves sitting behind tables at conventions exactly like this one.

I'm still waiting for my invitation to the other side of the table.

Somewhere, there is a box containing headshots and Sharpies ready to go. You know...for the fan who loves seeing real reporters and news anchors play one in the movies.

Just saying.