Billionaire Charles Dolan, who revolutionized television by creating HBO and building a media empire, died at 98. His family announced the news through Newsday, their Long Island newspaper, signaling an end to Charles Dolan’s HBO legacy.
Born in Ohio, Dolan began his career distributing industrial and sports films before launching ventures in the cable television industry. Moving to New York, he recognized Manhattan’s broadcast issue caused by tall buildings interrupting signals. In 1964, he began wiring Manhattan buildings with cable, attracting viewers by broadcasting the Knicks and Rangers play-offs.
In 1972, Dolan founded Home Box Office (HBO), the first premium cable service for movies, revolutionizing how audiences accessed content. Later, he sold HBO and his cable service to establish Cablevision, a household television and internet provider across the northeastern United States.
In 2015, Dolan sold Cablevision for almost $18bn to European company Altice. As the head of the family media empire, Dolan’s ventures expanded to Madison Square Garden, the New York Knicks, Rangers teams, and AMC Networks.
However, Dolan faced public frustration over the Knicks’ underperformance and programming disputes that briefly disrupted broadcasts of major events like the Academy Awards. At his death, Forbes estimated Dolan’s net worth at $5.4 billion, Reflecting a lifetime of innovation and ambition.
His son, James Dolan, now oversees the family’s media empire, continuing the legacy. Charles Dolan’s HBO legacy stands as a testament to his transformative contributions to television and media. Dolan’s innovations forever changed how viewers consumed content.
