But the reality is that with or without YC, you're going to need to learn how to close some of those contracts on your own.
Of course having connections is super helpful, but you're much more likely to get those introductions if you can show that you get things done without them.
So my advice would be to work on closing smaller contracts / deals and show that you are capable of running those processes first (and you also show growth!).
Then it's a lot easier to recommend you and pass you along to people in a network.
Thousands of people work at HBO. Tens of thousands of people work at Time Warner, which owns HBO. And tens of thousands more work in the broadcast media ecosystem. If you're really passionate about doing something in this industry, why not work in it for a few years?
Not only are you bound to meet the people who can help you, or who know the people who can help you, if you're strategic, you can put yourself in the position to come to the table with a modicum of industry cred, something that run-of-the-mill introduction-seekers almost always lack.
I'm not trying to discourage you, just pointing out that there are huge obstacles in the space that have nothing to do with technology.