How HBO’s creatives survived corporate chaos

Decoder with Nilay Patel

Vox Media Podcast Network

Technology, Business

4.3 • 3.2K Ratings

🗓️ 7 February 2023

⏱️ 67 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

HBO started as an experiment. It was a way to get people to switch from getting TV over broadcast antennas to cable by offering events you’d otherwise need tickets to see: boxing, plays, movies. That’s where the name Home Box Office comes from. But it grew from there in surprising ways: HBO was a major innovator in satellite distribution, in working with cable operators around the country, and of course in programming. The company’s taste and style has influenced and shaped culture for a generation now. And importantly, HBO did it without any real data: the cable companies owned all the subscribers, so HBO made decisions through instinct and experience. The amazing thing about HBO is that it has stayed true to itself through an absolutely tumultuous set of ownership changes and strategy shifts. If you’re a Decoder listener you know about the chaos of AT&T and HBO Max and the sale to Discovery to create Warner Brothers Discovery, but it’s so much twistier than that. I talked through all of those twists with Felix Gillette and John Koblin, authors of the terrific book It’s Not TV: The Spectacular Rise, Revolution, and Future of HBO. Felix and John also peeled back the curtain on your favorite HBO shows from Sex and the City to Game of Thrones. Before we get into the episode, I have to do our usual set of disclosures: I’m a Netflix executive producer. We made a Netflix show called The Future Of. You should watch it. I’m hopelessly biased in favor of the show we made. Also, Vox Media has a minority investment from Comcast. They don’t like me very much. And I worked at AOL Time Warner. I quit to start The Verge. Ok that’s that. Let’s get into the interview—it’s a good one. Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23352141 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. It was produced by Creighton DeSimone and Jackie McDermott and it was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Editorial Director is Brooke Minters and our Executive Director is Eleanor Donovan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	When you arrive in the all-new Toyota Crown, every entrance becomes a grand one.
0:06.0	With an available hybrid max powertrain that says,
0:09.0	you always arrive fashionably on time.
0:12.0	Style that says, emphasis on the fashionably.
0:15.0	And presence that says,
0:18.0	you speak softly and everyone listens.
0:21.0	Introducing the Toyota Crown, the car that says so much.
0:26.0	Toyota, let's go places.
0:31.0	This episode is brought to you by BRACS.
0:34.0	The corporate card and spend management software teams actually love.
0:38.0	BRACS is an integrated solution of corporate cards and spend management software
0:42.0	that drives 100% compliance in zero receipt chasing in over 100 countries.
0:48.0	Meaning less time worrying about expense reports and more time working with your clients.
0:54.0	So if you're a finance leader and want to drive efficiency, innovation,
0:58.0	and empower global teams like never before, then BRACS is a good place to start.
1:04.0	Learn more at BRACS.com slash podcast.
1:11.0	Hello and welcome to Decoder.
1:12.0	I'm Neil Appetel, Editor in Chief of the Verge, and Decoder is my show about big ideas and other problems.
1:17.0	Today I'm talking to Felix Gillette and John Koblin.
1:20.0	The authors of the book, it's not TV, the spectacular rise, revolution, and future of HBO.
1:26.0	The book is terrific, I read it, and basically one go over a weekend could not put it down.
1:32.0	That's because HBO has a fascinating history.
	...

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