Charles Dolan, HBO Founder Who Built Cablevision, Dies at 98

  • Owned Madison Square Garden, New York Knicks and Rangers
  • Altice NV acquired Cablevision for $17.7 billion in 2015

Charles Dolan, the pay-television pioneer who won the first cable-TV franchise in Manhattan, founded Home Box Office Inc. and later built Cablevision Systems Corp. into the fifth-largest U.S. cable company, has died. He was 98.

Dolan died Saturday of natural causes, surrounded by his loved ones, Newsday reported, citing a statement from his family shared by a spokesperson.