Archive of six original Home Box Office [HBO] posters, circa late 1970s

New York: Home Box Office [HBO], Circa late 1970s. Archive of six vintage Home Box Office (HBO) posters, circa late 1970s.

Six posters from the nascent days of subscription cable television, reflecting the industry's competition with broadcast television, as well as the nation's concern over inflation in the late 1970s. Four of the posters in the archive incorporate the HBO logo (with the O overlapping the B) used from 1975-1980.

Home Box Office was founded in 1965 as Sterling Information Services, a company offering cable television services to hotels in lower Manhattan. Unprofitable and struggling, the company created "The Green Channel" in 1971, a subscription service offering unedited mainstream theatrical movies and live sporting events without advertising interruptions.

The business officially relaunched as HBO on November 8, 1972, with an initial base of 365 subscribers. By the end of 1978, HBO had nearly two million subscribers, and would expand to over ten million subscribers by the end of 1982. The company today stands as the oldest continuously operating subscription television service in the United States.

The six slogans featured on the posters are: "Fast Relief from the Summer Reruns," "Bored to Tears by Summer Reruns," "Looking for the New Shows this Fall / HBO People Don't Miss Out," "Burned Up by Fall Reruns / In Case of Boredom Break Open HBO," "Inflation Can Keep You From Going Out / HBO Will Keep You From Missing Out," and "Fight Inflation at Home with HBO / HBO People Don't Miss Out."

All posters 24 x 36 inches, folded as issued. Very Good plus overall, with pinholes at the corners, three with starting at the folds.

[Book #162704]