Half of the top ten grossing infomercials for 1998 fall within the diet and fitness category, according to the annual ranking released by The Infomercial Marketing Report, Los Angeles. But the top-selling Bioslim, a diet product, grossed about $15 million less than last year’s No. 1 Total Gym.
The list is compiled from confidential sales figures supplied by all companies within the industry. The figures reflect television sales alone and do not account for any retail or subsequent sales to the same individuals, known as continuity sales. The top-grossing show was about $80 million and the bottom show was $30 million.
Quantum, a public company listed as National Media, has the greatest number of shows on the list, with three in the top ten, while TruVantage, a company owned by Nightingale-Conant and Kevin Trudeau, places second with two shows on the list.
In order by money grossed, the list is as follows (the Infomercial Marketing Report doesn’t disclose the sales figures):
1. Bioslim (Thane Marketing)
2. George Foreman’s Lean Grilling Machine (Salton/Maxim)
3. Total Gym (American Telecast/Fitness Quest)
4. Larry North’s North American Slim Down (Quantum)
5. Dalton McCary’s How to Hit the Golf Ball as Straight as You Can Point, Guaranteed (TruVantage Intl)
6. Red Devil Grill (Tristar)
7. Dr. Morter’s Dynamic Health (TruVantage Intl)
8. Epilstop (Tactica Intl)
9. Timeworks (Quantum)
10. Ingenio–T-Fal (Quantum)
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