But Wait! There’s More: How Infomercials Paved the Way for Influencers to Thrive

In the 1960s and '70s , television replaced the radio as the primary form of home entertainment.

Televangelists such as Jimmy Swaggart , Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker , and Kenneth Copeland were preaching fire and brimstone.

At its peak, the infomercial industry was worth between $200 and $300 billion .

Today , the company makes about $1.5 billion in annual revenue.

At one point in the early ’80s , there were 55 different DTC startups, Renker estimates.

Renker coined some of the most common phrases synonymous with the modern infomercial, including the now ubiquitous “But wait, there’s more!”.

The influencer market is worth $250 billion and is expected to reach almost $500 billion by 2027 .

MrBeast , the most-followed YouTuber , has built an empire on his MrBeast Burger .

Ryan’s World , the YouTube channel of Ryan Kaji , has its own line of toys, and its star is estimated to be worth more than $100 million .