The Man Who Invented the Infomercial
He saw empty late night TV airtime. He filled it with product shows. The infomercial was born.
In the 1980s, many TV channels went silent late at night.
Kevin Harrington saw an opportunity.
He bought cheap airtime and filled it with half hour product demos.
An early start.
Kevin Harrington was born on October 15, 1956, in Ohio.
He started working young in his family’s businesses and learned to sell.
Biography: Kevin Harrington
Kevin Harrington grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio.
He was born on October 15, 1956.
His family was blue‑collar.
He was one of eight children.
His father flew fighter planes in World War II.
After the war he ran taverns and restaurants.
His mother’s family had a bank president.
Kevin helped at his father’s restaurant.
He washed dishes.
At age nine he sold newspapers.
When he was 15 he started a driveway sealing business.
He called it Harrington Driveway Sealing.
He went to Purcell Marian Catholic High School.
After high school he entered the University of Cincinnati.
During his junior year he left college.
He wanted to work on his growing businesses.
While in college he started Tri State Heating and Cooling.
He later ran a business brokerage firm.
Birth of the Infomercial
In 1984 the Discovery Channel had dead air at night.
Kevin bought six‑hour blocks of that airtime.
He filled the time with product demos.
He sold kitchen and home items.
The first big product was the Food Saver in 1987.
It made millions.
He later filmed a pitch for Ginsu knives at a home show in Philadelphia.
Early on he lost money.
He went bankrupt once.
Orders sometimes outpaced his inventory.
He says about two out of three product launches fail.
As Seen On TV and Later Career
Kevin founded As Seen On TV, Inc. (ASTV).
The company finds, develops, and markets consumer products.
ASTV bought the domain AsSeenOnTV.com in 2012 for $2.7 million.
It also bought the beauty brand TRU Hair.
In 2012 the company earned $8.2 million.
That was a 500 percent jump from the year before.
The company raised about $26.4 million in six funding rounds.
It never did a traditional IPO.
Kevin also became an original Shark on Shark Tank.
He served from 2009 to 2011.
He joined the board of Edison Interactive in May 2026.
He started an entertainment marketing agency called Patrick Patrick in early 2026.
He co‑founded Big Brand Ventures in July 2024.
He runs Harrington Enterprises, started in 1998.
Through the Harrington Foundation he launched a free youth entrepreneurship pilot in June 2026.
Personal Life and Philanthropy
Kevin lives in Florida with his wife, Crystal.
He enjoys family time, golf, and daily exercise.
He supports the Boys and Girls Clubs of America.
He also helps the National Parkinson Foundation.
He often cites Zig Ziglar:
You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help enough other people get what they want.
Kevin Harrington’s story shows how a simple idea can change an industry.
He turned empty TV hours into a global business.
His life is a lesson for young builders.
Founding Story
Kevin Harrington was born on October 15, 1956 in Cincinnati, Ohio.
He grew up in a blue‑collar family of eight children.
His dad was a World War II fighter pilot and owned taverns and restaurants.
His mother’s family had a bank president.
Kevin went to Purcell Marian Catholic High School.
He later enrolled at the University of Cincinnati.
He left college during his junior year to run his own businesses.
First Products and Early Customers
At age nine Kevin sold newspapers.
He washed dishes in his father’s restaurant.
When he was 15 he started Harrington Driveway Sealing.
In college he created Tri State Heating and Cooling.
He also ran a business brokerage firm.
In 1984 Kevin saw that the Discovery Channel had “dead air” overnight.
He bought six‑hour blocks of that time.
He filled the slots with kitchen and home items.
The first big product was the Food Saver vacuum food‑storage system in 1987.
It sold millions of units.
Later he filmed a pitch for Ginsu knives at a Philadelphia home show.
Early Struggles
Kevin’s new TV slots grew fast.
Orders soon outpaced his inventory.
He needed cash to buy more stock.
He faced business losses that led to bankruptcy.
He also lost money in an aggressive expansion into Europe.
He tried to run operations in 16 countries at once.
Partners sometimes proved untrustworthy.
Legal disputes with his former wife and takeover bids added stress.
Key Turning Points
In 2012 Kevin’s company bought the domain AsSeenOnTV.com for $2.7 million.
That move gave the brand a strong online presence.
He also acquired the beauty brand TRU Hair.
A planned merger with eDiets.com was pursued.
Growth, Funding and Acquisitions
Fiscal 2012 revenue reached $8.2 million.
That was a 500 percent increase from the year before.
Kevin raised about $26.4 million in total capital.
Six funding rounds supplied the money.
In 2011 a private placement brought in $14 million.
The company traded on the OTCQB under the symbol ASTV.
It never completed a traditional IPO.
Kevin continued to launch new ventures.
In 2025 he started an entertainment marketing agency called Patrick Patrick.
In May 2026 he became a strategic investor and board member of Edison Interactive.
He co‑founded Big Brand Ventures in July 2024.
He still runs Harrington Enterprises, started in 1998.
Through the Harrington Foundation he began a free youth entrepreneurship pilot in June 2026.
The program runs eight weeks online.
Kevin’s story shows how a simple idea can grow into a global brand.
It also shows the risk of rapid expansion.
His work still influences TV marketing today.
Setbacks
Kevin Harrington faced big money loss early on.
He went bankrupt after a fast growth plan failed.
He says two out of three product launches did not work.
He tried to run operations in 16 European countries at once.
The expansion cost a lot and hurt cash flow.
Untrustworthy partners added to the trouble.
Criticism and Controversies
In 2021 a fraud lawsuit named him.
The case involved InventureX and Ideazon.
He denied any executive role in the alleged fraud.
Legal fights also came from his former wife.
Takeover bids created tension among investors.
Recent Changes
In 2025 Kevin started a new agency called Patrick Patrick.
The agency focuses on entertainment marketing.
In May 2026 he joined the board of Edison Interactive.
He also invested in the company as a strategic partner.
He kept his role at Big Brand Ventures, which began in July 2024.
His older firm, Harrington Enterprises, still runs.
He launched a free youth entrepreneurship pilot in June 2026.
The program runs eight weeks online.
It is run by the Harrington Foundation.
Where He Is in 2026
Kevin lives in Florida with his wife Crystal.
He spends time with family, plays golf, and exercises daily.
He works with the Boys and Girls Clubs of America.
He also supports the National Parkinson Foundation.
He still appears on TV as a mentor and speaker.
He shares the Zig Ziglar quote: You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help enough other people get what they want.
Why the story matters
The story shows that failure can lead to new ideas.
It teaches that spotting unused space can start an industry.
It proves that bold moves need careful partners.
It reminds young builders to test ideas fast.
It shows that giving back builds a lasting legacy.
Never stop looking for the next open slot.
The Record
Born: October 15, 1956
Known for: Inventing the modern infomercial; founding As Seen On TV; original Shark on Shark Tank
Current roles (2026): Founder of Patrick Patrick; board member of Edison Interactive; co‑founder of Big Brand Ventures; owner of Harrington Enterprises; philanthropist
Timeline
1956 to Born in Cincinnati, Ohio.
1971 to Sold newspapers at age nine (early work).
1971‑1975 to Launched Harrington Driveway Sealing at age 15.
1984 to Bought overnight cable time and began modern infomercials.
1987 to Launched Food Saver product, generating millions.
1998 to Formed Harrington Enterprises.
2009 to Joined Shark Tank as an original Shark.
2012 to Bought AsSeenOnTV.com domain for $2.7 million.
2021 to Named in fraud lawsuit, denied involvement.
2025 to Started Patrick Patrick entertainment marketing agency.
May 2026 to Joined Edison Interactive board as strategic investor.
June 2026 to Launched free youth entrepreneurship pilot.