An
infomercial is a form of
television commercial, which generally includes a phone number or website. Most often used as a form of
direct response television (DRTV), long-form infomercials are typically 28:30 or 58:30 minutes in length. Infomercials are also known as
paid programming (or
teleshopping in
Europe). This phenomenon started in the
United States, where infomercials were typically shown overnight (usually 2:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m.), outside of peak
prime time hours for
commercial broadcasters. Some
television stations chose to air infomercials as an alternative to the former practice of
signing off. By 2009, most infomercial spending in the U.S. occurs during the early morning, daytime and evening hours. Stations in most countries around the world have instituted similar media structures. The infomercial industry is worth over $200 billion.