Hank J. Ratner is president and chief executive officer of The Madison Square Garden Company (MSG), which
includes renowned performance venues, entertainment properties, professional sports teams and television
networks. Mr. Ratner directs the overall growth strategy and day-to-day operations of the business. He also
serves as alternate governor to the National Basketball Association and the National Hockey League on behalf of
the New York Knicks and Rangers.
The Company's signature assets consist of some of the nation's most popular entertainment and sports
properties, including "The World's Most Famous Arena," along with New York's Radio City Music Hall and Beacon
Theatre, The Chicago Theatre and the Wang Theatre in Boston. The Company's other entities include the New York
Knicks, Rangers and Liberty; MSG Entertainment, a live-entertainment company; MSG and MSG Plus, regional sports
and entertainment networks; and Fuse, a national music network.
In February of 2010, Mr. Ratner led the spin-off of Madison Square Garden from Cablevision Systems
Corporation and, today, The Madison Square Garden Company is a standalone, public company. He is also
spearheading the Transformation of the Madison Square Garden Arena, which will significantly enhance the
experience of customers, athletes, entertainers, suite holders and partners. In addition, the project will
include a dramatically redesigned Seventh Avenue entrance, new seats, improved sightlines, new Event Level and
Madison Level suites, two new one-of-a-kind bridges suspended above the playing surface, and spectacular public
concourses. The Transformation will also have food featuring some of the best chefs in the world and pay homage
to the building's storied history, while restoring the Garden's distinctive and celebrated ceiling.
Mr. Ratner served as MSG's Vice Chairman for seven years before being named president and chief executive
officer, following MSG's spin-off from Cablevision. Throughout his tenure, Mr. Ratner has been influential in
formulating and implementing strategic direction for MSG. He played a key role in bringing three of the
country's landmark showplaces – New York City's legendary Beacon Theatre, the historic Chicago Theatre
and the Wang Theatre in Boston – under MSG management. In addition, he helped to secure the Company's
successful relationship with Cirque du Soleil and developed MSG's music strategy which emphasizes collaboration
between MSG Entertainment and Fuse to provide a unique platform for artists to connect with fans and creates
innovative programming for Fuse viewers. MSG's music strategy has already led to the development of the "Fuse
Presents" concert series in which Fuse exclusively presents live concerts from The Madison Square Garden
Company's iconic venues.
As Chairman of the Garden of Dreams Foundation, the non-profit that works closely with all areas of The
Madison Square Garden Company, Mr. Ratner has been a driving force behind the creation and significant
expansion of the charity's programs, enhancing its commitment to "make dreams come true for children facing
obstacles." Since its inception in 2006, Garden of Dreams has created thousands of once-in-a-lifetime
experiences at Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, the Beacon Theatre, the MSG Training Center, and
at Fuse and MSG television studios, brightening the lives of more than 185,000 tri-state area children in
crisis and their families.
Mr. Ratner has also served as vice chairman of Cablevision Systems Corporation since 2003. In this role,
he helps to set corporate direction and strategy for the media and telecommunications company whose portfolio
of operations includes a full suite of advanced digital television, voice and high-speed Internet services, and
valuable local media and programming properties. Prior to serving as MSG and Cablevision vice chairman, Mr.
Ratner served as COO and then vice chairman of Rainbow Media Holdings, Cablevision's former programming
subsidiary which became AMC Networks, a separate company, after its spin-off in June 2011. At Rainbow, he
helped lead the executive management team that directed AMC, IFC, Bravo, WE tv, Fuse, Lifeskool, News 12
Networks, Rainbow Advertising Sales Corporation and Rainbow Sports Networks. In 2005, Mr. Ratner led
Cablevision's negotiations with Fox to restructure the ownership of assets held by Regional Programming
Partners, a partnership between the two companies. This restructuring gave Cablevision, among other benefits,
100 percent ownership of MSG and its properties.
Mr. Ratner joined Cablevision as assistant general counsel in 1987. A year later, he moved to Rainbow
Media, rising to the position of Rainbow's chief operating officer in 1998. Mr. Ratner was then promoted to
vice chairman of Cablevision before also being named vice chairman of MSG in 2003.
Previously, Mr. Ratner was an associate with the law firm of Sullivan & Cromwell. He received a bachelor's
degree and doctorate of law with distinction from Emory University.