James Dolan Signs Three-Year Contract Extensions with MSG Sports, MSG Entertainment, and Sphere Entertainment

James Dolan, the chairman of MSG Sports and Entertainment, has signed three-year contract extensions with the companies he and his family control. The extensions cover MSG Sports, MSG Entertainment, and Sphere Entertainment, with Dolan set to receive a salary of over $3.1 million across the three companies.

MSG Sports owns the New York Knicks NBA team and the New York Rangers NHL team, while MSG Entertainment operates iconic venues such as Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, and The Beacon Theater. Sphere Entertainment owns the Sphere in Las Vegas and the MSG Networks cable channels.

Dolan’s contract includes an annual target bonus of $6.2 million and participation in long-term incentive plans across the companies. The total annual value of the deals is approximately $37.5 million, with the potential for a nine-figure package depending on the performance of Sphere’s stock.

Dolan and his family control all three companies, with more than 70 percent of the voting shares in each. The companies were spun out of the Dolan family’s cable business Cablevision, which was sold to Altice in 2016 for $17.7 billion.

Dolan has been restructuring the businesses in recent years, including separating the sports business from the venue business and launching the Sphere in Las Vegas. The Sphere has found success with live events and original programming, with plans to build additional venues around the world.

Former Warner Bros. COO Carolyn Blackwood has been tapped to run Sphere Studios, where she will develop new original programming and work with artists to utilize the massive screens inside the building. Overall, Dolan’s contract extensions signal a continued commitment to the growth and success of MSG Sports and Entertainment.