Why HBO’s Next Move Is Critical

More than 50 years ago, HBO revolutionized television when it began to offer uncut movies, live boxing matches, concerts and comedy specials when you couldn’t watch those things anywhere but at a movie theater or in person. And slowly but surely, as video rental companies like Blockbuster began to compete with the network’s value proposition in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the company pivoted to investing in some of the most beloved original content of our time such as “The Sopranos” and “Sex and the City.” But it didn’t end there, the company has continued to produce award-winning content such a “Game of Thrones,” “Veep,” “The Last Of Us” and “Succession.” Despite establishing itself as the gold standard of storytelling, HBO has never operated as a stand-alone business, and has instead experienced numerous mergers and acquisitions, including the ill-fated AOL-Time Warner deal, known as one of the worst in American corporate history. Today, the company is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery but experts are predicting yet another transition is on the horizon. Chapters 00:00 — 02:00 Intro 02:01 — 06:13 The rise of HBO 6:14 — 13:40 Original programming 13:41 — 18:20 HBO Max 18:21 — 22:18 Warner Bros. Discovery Credits Produced, Shot and Edited by: Darren Geeter Animation: Jason Reginato Senior Managing Producer: Tala Hadavi Additional Reporting: Alexander Sherman Additional Camera: Shawn Baldwin, Emily Lorsch, Jade Tungal