HBO has announced that its year-end show, Blockbuster Marathon 2002, will screen 40 of the all time favourite blockbusters. Viewers could watch two movies, back to back, starring some of the biggest names of Hollywood, from Monday to Friday starting 9:30 PM throughout the month of December. HBO will also telecast the Best of HBO 2002, a package of the top favourites screened during the year.

The blockbuster movies include Gladiator, Saving Private Ryan, The Mummy, Matrix, The Nutty Professor, amongst others. These movies will feature stars such as Russell Crowe, Tom Hanks, Brendan Fraser, Keanu Reaves and Eddie Murphy amongst others.

HBO's strategy is to bring out the 'best of Hollywood' by premiering the top blockbuster movies on television first in South Asia through exclusive licensing deals with four major Hollywood studios - Paramount, Sony Pictures Entertainment (Columbia/ TriStar), Universal and Warner Bros (including New Line Cinema).

Effective 1 January, 2003, SET India will manage the advertising sales for HBO and distribute the service through its SET/Discovery One Alliance joint venture in India and the Maldives.