the thrilla in manila, one of the all-time classic heavyweight fights. frazier/ali. and that's when hbo explodes. >> it's all over and mohammad ali at the end of the 14th round, it's a tko -- >> before that, you're count ing growth in tens of thousand of subscribers. after that, you'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 station. >> this guy, bill rasmussen, who had been fired from his job