HBO, short for Home Box Office, is an American premium television network launched on November 8, 1972. It was the country’s first cable originated content service and is now the flagship of Home Box Office, Inc., part of Skydance.
The network’s original logo, used until April 30, 1975, showed the name Home Box Office in a marquee of lights with a ticket stub. The HBO wordmark that followed became widely known through the HBO in Space opening sequence, made by Liberty Studios and used from 1982 to 1997.
Logo history
- 1972 to 1975: Marquee light logo with a ticket stub.
- September 20, 1982: The HBO in Space opening begins, used in some form until October 31, 1997.
- November 1997: The twelve note fanfare from that sequence becomes HBO’s audio logo.
This timeline lists only changes that a cited source confirms. Earlier or minor variants of the HBO mark that could not be dated from a primary or reputable source are left out rather than guessed.
Logo colors
| Color | HEX | RGB | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black | #000000 | 0, 0, 0 | Commons SVG fill |
| White | #FFFFFF | 255, 255, 255 | Commons SVG fill |
The HBO palette in this draft has 2 recorded values. Black is #000000, which is RGB 0, 0, 0. White is #FFFFFF, which is RGB 255, 255, 255. Where a value comes from a redrawn vector rather than the owner’s own guide, check it against official files before using it in design work.
The Commons SVG is monochrome.
Typography
No typeface has been named by HBO.
FAQ
When did HBO launch?
November 8, 1972.
What was the first HBO logo?
A marquee of lights around Home Box Office with a ticket stub, used until 1975.
What is the HBO sound?
A twelve note fanfare adopted as an audio logo in 1997.
Sources
Logos shown are trademarks of their owners and are provided for identification and reference. To request removal, contact [email protected].