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As a subsidiary of Time Warner media Conglomerate, Home Box Office (HBO) is a cable-TV network that broadcasts its programs to more than 150 countries of the world. It is based in the United States and broadcasts two pay-TV services to a large number of viewers and subscribers. There are a number of products that the company offers to all its viewers.
The renowned world broadcast began in 1972 in Pennsylvania as a pay-TV option that focused on sport. The month of November the same year, the services included the airing of National Hockey League to over 365 local subscribers. The introduction of the microwave technology, HBO was able to air sports programs to thousands of homes since many people sought these services to get the opportunity to watch the boxing match between Mohammad Ali and Joe Frazier which was taking place in Manila. This made HBO the first broadcast company to use satellite as a means of airing regular programming. The advent of other broadcasting companies caused a lot of competition and HBO tried to stay on top by opening their own Motion picture Company eleven years after its inception in conjunction with Columbia pictures and CBS. The company was named Tristar and went ahead to land exclusive rights to some of the biggest companies such as 20TH Century Fox.
The advent of the VCR did not cause any harm to this company as it had already predicted the consumer trend and went ahead to form their own video company called EMI/HBO Home Entertainment Video now known as HBO Home video, in conjunction with Thorn EMI Entertainment. The company had the rights to acquire and distribute their own home video programs. They also formed the HBO independent Productions which focused on developing interesting series and whose success enabled them acquire the Citadel Entertainment and get a number of contracts to develop a number of series for other outlets.
The company has developed to what it is by offering a number of high quality products to all its subscribers and this has seen them earn a number of Emmy Awards. The original programming started in 1997, starting a feature that is now common to a lot of cable providers. The company debut its first one-hour dramatic series called OZ but their second on called The Sopranos is what gave them an edge over others as they went ahead to win a total of 21 Emmy awards. In the present, other networks have re-aired some of the companies program which is also available on DVD.
The company offers a number of multiplex channels as well as a video-on-demand service. The HBO comes with a series of programs such as popular feature films, sports events such as boxing and other specials. It also features original movies and series as well as comedies and documentaries. It also airs R-rated films and TV-MA rated programming after eight pm and pg-13 rated films throughout the day. The secondary channel HBO 2 features more movies and series and unlike HBO, it airs R-rated films during the day. It was re-branded HBO Plus and in other countries it is a separate channel while HBO 2 repeats all the movies aired in HBO.
HBO Comedy broadcasts funny and less serious films and movies and also repeats all the HBO comedy series and specials. During the night the channel airs adult comedy while they broadcast R-rated films during the day. The other channel is HBO family which contains programs, films and series meant for younger audience as well as films for the whole family. During the morning hours, the programs aired are for pre-schoolers, G-rated or PG-rated films during the day and PG-13 rated films in early evening hours. This is one of the channels, alongside HBO Latino that has its own website.
HBO Latino is the channel aimed at Spanish-speaking audiences with the same programs aired at the HBO main channel. All the programs are in Spanish and the channel also features sports events. HBO Signature is another channel that airs programs aired at women and was previously known as HBO 3 since 1995-1998. HBO Zone is a channel with the younger audience as the target. It airs adult-oriented programming at night and is the only HBO Channel that broadcasts soft-core pornographic films.
The company has launched new channels with the aim of getting more subscribers. In January 2008, the company launched HBO on broadband that was aimed for limited markets. It features approximately 400 hours of movies and series that the viewers can download from their computers. It requires viewers to be digital cable customers and must use the cable company as the Internet provider. It comes with no extra charge and is only available to Customers in Milwaukee and Green Bay who subscribe to Time Warner Cable. The year 2010 saw the company launch HBO Go to Verizon Fios Customers with subscription to HBO TV Series. It comes with a website with more than 600 hours of streaming content with high or standard definition alongside the channels original programming.
The company has also diversified its services and has ventured into other areas. Alongside the television and film-production companies that HBO owns, it is also involved in merchandising. In 2005, it launched deals with AT&T, then Cingular Wireless, that saw the establishment of HBO Mobile which is a pay service that features on the HBO series as well as other details such as episode guides, wallpapers and ring tones. The services are also available in a number of countries such as UK, Ireland, Belgium and South Africa thorough Vodafone and Korea through SK Telecom the same year also saw the launching of a DVD interactive game called Scene It that was customized to the Network and features trivia on the HBO series available. The SVOD services were also availed in other countries in 2007 through various networks. This diversity has made HBO a leader in the television and film production and services.
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