. >> it's all over and mohammad ali at the end of the 14th round, it's a tko -- >> before that, you're're counting in millions. that's really day one for both businesses. hbo and the cable industry. >> if you're a fan, what you'll see in the next minutes to follow may convince you you've gone to sports heaven. >> in the mid-'70s in the sports world, there were just these three giants. cbs, nbc, abc. and then in connecticut, somebody got ahold of a transponder. >> the picture you're watching right now has been taken by a camera sent through sophisticated equipment to this earth transmitting system -- >> this guy, bill rasmussen, who had been fired from his job trying to figure out a way to deliver local cable sports. then when they found out about the satellite they said, so can we cover the whole state? and the guy looked and he said, no, you don't understand. >> for another 25 cents or whatever you can send this all over the country. they went, oh, gee. why would anyone want to do that? they didn't quite know what they had. >> and he wound up revolutionizing television sports. >> welc