Purpose This paper aims to explore the impact of incentives on the behavioral intention to use electronic commerce through interactive television to enhance a deeper understanding of how television platforms can improve the attractiveness of television to enterprises as a channel of communication and distribution. Design/methodology/approach This research uses a questionnaire to collect empirical data on preferences related to perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, perceived enjoyment, attitude toward the use of t-commerce, behavioral intention to use t-commerce and incentives. The measurement scales of the variables were tested using exploratory factor analysis. The hypotheses were tested using the results of forgotten effects analysis applied to the incidences of incentives on the precedents of the behavioral intention to use t-commerce. Findings The findings suggest that there are no significant direct incidences between incentives and the behavioral intention to use t-commerce, but the direct incidence is only part of the total incidence and on many occasions is only a small part, as the result of causal relationships between causes and effects. The results indicate indirect incidences between incentives and the behavioral intention to use t-commerce through its precedents. Practical implications Marketing managers of television platforms may consider the use of incentives to encourage behavioral intention to use t-commerce to achieve the development of interactive television as a distribution channel. Originality/value Research on t-commerce acceptance, especially research that uses extrinsic variables, is scarce. This paper addresses that gap by exploring the use of incentives to attract users.