There was money to be made seventy-five years ago in coin operated televisions, according to the Covideo Coin Operated Television Company, New York, whose ad appeared in the April 1950 issue of Radio News.
Their sets were “specially built” and would play thirty minutes for a quarter ($3.31 in 2025 dollars). Thousands of locations were available, and they would yield immediate profits and steady income.
Unfortunately, they were perhaps a bit overly optimistic in some of their advertising, because a two years later, the Federal Trade Commission slapped them with a Cease and Desist Order. Among other things, they were prohibited from representing that they manufactured the sets or any component parts. They were also prohibited from claiming that they maintained a staff of competent engineers and technicians, or that they had adequate facilities for research and experimentation.
In 1960 I spent a few weeks living in a boarding house in Washington DC. A day-room for boarders had a television available. It was a coin-operated device attached and for a quarter you had so many minutes of viewing time. Very few took advantage of the set. I didn’t. No one wanted to argue over program selections.