▁sport ▁that ▁are ▁carried ▁by ▁regional ▁sports ▁networks , ▁and ▁national ▁and ▁local ▁broad c aster s ▁that ▁hold ▁rights ▁to ▁individual ▁teams ▁or ▁sports ▁le agues ; ▁the ▁out - of - market ▁sports ▁package ▁is ▁the ▁most ▁expensive ▁form ▁of ▁a ▁la ▁carte ▁television ▁service , ▁r anging ▁in ▁price ▁from ▁$ 5 0 ▁to ▁$ 7 5 ▁per ▁month . ▁ ▁Trans mission ▁and ▁technology ▁The ▁national ▁cable ▁television ▁network ▁became ▁possible ▁in ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 7 0 s ▁with ▁the ▁launch ▁of ▁domestic ▁communic ations ▁sat ell ites ▁that ▁could ▁econom ically ▁broadcast ▁television ▁programs ▁to ▁cable ▁operators ▁anywhere ▁in ▁the ▁contin ental ▁United ▁States ▁( some ▁domestic ▁sat ell ites ▁also ▁covered ▁Al aska ▁and ▁Hawai i ▁with ▁dedicated ▁spot ▁be ams ▁that ▁reached ▁the ▁cont igu ous ▁states ). ▁Until ▁then , ▁cable ▁networks ▁like ▁H BO ▁had ▁been ▁limited ▁to ▁regional ▁coverage ▁through ▁distribution ▁over ▁expensive ▁terrest rial ▁mic row ave ▁links ▁le ased ▁from ▁the ▁tele phone ▁companies ▁( prim arily ▁AT & T ). ▁Sat ell ites ▁were ▁generally ▁used ▁only ▁for ▁international ▁( i . e ., ▁trans o cean ic ) ▁communic ations ; ▁their ▁anten nas ▁covered ▁an ▁entire ▁hem is phere , ▁producing ▁weak ▁signals ▁that ▁required ▁large , ▁expensive ▁receiving ▁anten nas . ▁The ▁first ▁domestic ▁communic ations ▁satellite , ▁West ar ▁ 1 , ▁was ▁launched ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 4 . ▁By ▁concentr ating ▁its ▁signal ▁on ▁the ▁contin ental ▁United ▁States ▁with ▁a