Charles Dolan, a giant in New York sports and cable TV, dead at 98

Charles Dolan, the founder of HBO and Cablevision, and whose family owns Madison Square Garden, died on Saturday of natural causes at age 98. 

He was surrounded by his family at the time of his death, according to a statement. “It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of our beloved father and patriarch, Charles Dolan, the visionary founder of HBO and Cablevision,” the statement reads.

Dolan began his career in New York City in 1952 at age 26. He founded Sterling Manhattan Cable in 1962, which held agreements with New York pro-sports teams, including the Knicks of the NBA and the Rangers of the NHL, according to the New York Post. 

In 1972, the Air Force veteran created Home Box Office, HBO as it is known, which was the first premium cable channel that provided movies and other programming without commercials, with revenues coming from subscriptions. A year later he founded Cablevision, of which he was still the chairman. 

In 1986, Cablevision launched News 12 Long Island, which became the first 24-hour regional cable news channel in the U.S. Cablevision was sold in 2017 for $17.7 billion, according to Deadline.

The Dolan family, whose estimated net worth is $5.4 billion, has a controlling interest in Madison Square Garden through which it also owns Radio City Music Hall, the New York Knicks and the New York Rangers. Charles’ son James Dolan is the New York Knicks executive chairman. 

Charles Dolan is survived by six children, 19 grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. His wife, Helen Ann Dolan, died in 2023.