▁por n ographic ▁films ). ▁Although ▁attempts ▁at ▁such ▁services ▁date ▁back ▁to ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 0 s , ▁pay - per - view ▁services ▁( such ▁as ▁V iewer ' s ▁Cho ice ▁and ▁Request ▁TV ) ▁began ▁launch ing ▁in ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 8 0 s , ▁allowing ▁subscri bers ▁to ▁purchase ▁mov ies ▁and ▁events ▁on ▁a ▁one - time - only ▁basis ▁via ▁tele phone ; ▁with ▁the ▁advent ▁of ▁digital ▁cable , ▁interactive ▁techn ologies ▁allowed ▁pay - per - view ▁se lections ▁to ▁be ▁purchased ▁by ▁remote . ▁ ▁In ▁addition ▁to ▁sports ▁networks ▁that ▁are ▁distributed ▁to ▁a ▁national ▁audience , ▁two ▁other ▁types ▁of ▁sports - orient ed ▁television ▁networks ▁exist . ▁Regional ▁sports ▁networks ▁are ▁cable ▁out lets ▁designed ▁to ▁cover ▁a ▁limited ▁ge ographic ▁region ▁and ▁metropol itan ▁area , ▁which ▁carry ▁events ▁from ▁local ▁professional ▁and ▁colleg iate ▁sports ▁teams , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁team - related ▁programs , ▁news ▁and ▁magazine ▁programs . ▁The ▁most ▁prominent ▁of ▁these ▁are ▁the ▁Fox ▁Sports ▁Network s , ▁Com cast ▁Sports Net , ▁AT & T ▁Sports Net ▁and ▁Spect rum ▁Sports , ▁which ▁compr ise ▁multiple ▁networks ▁serving ▁different ▁regions ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁Independ ently ▁owned ▁regional ▁sports ▁networks ▁also ▁exist ▁in ▁some ▁regions ▁served ▁by ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁major ▁groups . ▁Out - of - market ▁sports ▁packages , ▁mean while , ▁are ▁composed ▁of ▁individual ▁mult ich annel ▁packages ▁broadcast ing ▁events ▁from ▁an ▁individual