An infomercial is a form of television commercial that resembles regular TV programming yet is intended to promote or sell a product, service, or idea. It is a longer-form video or television advertisement that acts as a stand-alone program to pitch a good or service with a call to action. Infomercials are different from regular commercials because they last longer and have no breaks in the program, allowing them to present more details about a product or service. They are often program-length commercials, typically 28:30 or 58:30 minutes in length, and are known as paid programming or teleshopping in Europe. Infomercials usually appear on television during off-peak hours and can run from a half-hour to nearly one hour long. The purpose of infomercials is to prompt the viewer to call a toll-free number or visit a website to make a purchase. An advantage of infomercials for companies is an increased amount of time to showcase a product, demonstrate how it works, and present a persuasive call to action.