Mediacom Communications founder, chairman and CEO Rocco Commisso joined an elite club Tuesday, becoming one of 22 new entrants to the Forbes magazine list of the 400 richest Americans.

Commisso, who founded Mediacom in 1995, placed a very respectable No. 150 overall on the list, which was again peppered with internet billionaires and media moguls. Microsoft founder Bill Gates was No. 1 on the list for the 24th consecutive year, with a total net worth of $89 billion, up $8 billion from the prior year. Amazon chief Jeff Bezos was No. 2, worth $81.5 billion.

Commisso, estimated to be worth $4.5 billion, is the lone cable operator in Forbes's new class of entrepreneurs. Netflix CEO Reed Hastings (No. 359, $2.2 billion) was also among the new entrants.

But the overall list had more than its share of media chieftains of much larger companies, like Dish Network chairman and CEO Charlie Ergen (No. 30, $15.8 billion); 21st Century Fox chairman Rupert Murdoch (No. 39, $12 billion); Liberty Media's John Malone (No. 56, $8.2 billion); Viacom executive chairman Summer Redstone (No. 115, $5.1 billion) and Cablevision founder Charles Dolan (No. 118, $5 billion).

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Commisso has grown Mediacom from a single cable system in California to the fifth largest operator in the country, with more than 800,000 video subscribers. He has supported several educational causes, and has been a generous backer of his alma mater Columbia University, which named its soccer field after him in 2013. In January, Commisso purchased the New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League, and has been an avid fan and supporter of U.S. soccer. He was part of the anti-trust suit filed against U.S. soccer’s governing body, the United States Soccer Federation – last month.

But according to the Forbes article, Commisso's mind continues to be focused on Mediacom.

"All the guys that are on the Forbes 400, we're married to our businesses,” Commisso told the magazine.

Two months after being purchased by cable veteran Rocco Commisso, the New York Cosmos have secured a regional TV deal for their spring games, which will be shown on New York independent station WPIX and MSG Networks.

The club’s NASL home opener against Miami FC at MCU Park on April 1 will be broadcast on Tribune Media’s flagship New York station, WPIX, Channel 11. According to the team, the game marks the first time the Cosmos will play live on broadcast television in over 30 years.  

MSG Networks will kick off their Cosmos coverage on April 8, with a match against Miami FC at FIU Stadium in Miami.  MSG Networks will carry a total of 13 of the club’s games during the spring season.

RELATED: U.K.-based Eleven Sports buys One World Sports assets

"Television is a critically important piece to building and sustaining a successful professional sports brand,” said Cosmos’ Chief Operating Officer Erik Stover in a statement. “With WPIX and MSG, we have found two exceptional partners to help bring the fun and excitement of Cosmos’ games to millions of homes in the New York metropolitan area.”

In addition to the regional coverage on WPIX and MSG Networks, a number of Cosmos games will be available through the national television deal expected to be announced by the NASL before the spring season starts later in March.  The Cosmos local television schedule for the fall season will be announced later in the year.  

Cosmos games had originally been shown on pay TV network One World Sports – its former owner was a partner in the firm that owns the network. One World Sports has fallen on hard times recently, but is expected to announce a deal with U.K. sports network Eleven Sports later in the week.

Commisso, the founder, chairman and CEO of Mediacom Communications, agreed to purchase the Cosmos in January. Since buying the team, Commisso has managed to secure its leadership, pay back wages to players and front office personnel and find a new home for the club – Brooklyn’s MCU Park. He had said in the past that striking a TV deal was on the agenda, but was a lower priority. With those major hurdles cleared, the time was ripe to strike a TV agreement.

"MSG Networks is proud to be the regional home of Cosmos soccer,” said MSG Network’s Vice President of Content Distribution and Affiliate Partnerships Armando Polanco in a statement. "It's a new era for the legendary American club and we are excited to watch the Cosmos defend their NASL title."

Troubled One World Sports, the fledgling U.S. sports network that furloughed most of its staff in November, could be close to a deal with the United Kingdom-based Eleven Sports Network, according to reports.

News that a deal could be in the works was first reported by sports website World Soccer Talk, which noted One World began rebranding itself as Eleven Sports on Saturday (March 11).

Eleven Sports is owned by The Channels Co., Ltd., and Italian investor Andrea Radrizzani, founder of global investment company Aser and founding partner and vice chairman of MP & Silva, an international sports rights company. Through Aser Radrizzani purchased 50% of second tier UK Championship League team Leeds United.

Eleven Sports launched in 2015 as a linear and streaming sports service and according to its website has launched multiple channels across select markets in Poland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Singapore and Taiwan. The company says it offers live coverage of sports events from around the world, analysis, digital content and local programming.

In an email message Eleven Sports spokeswoman Colleen Lynch said the channel “will have more details later this week,” but until then it had no further comment.

One World Sports has been struggling to stay afloat over the past several months and had to furlough a large chunk of its staff in November. At the time, CEO Sandy Brown had said the network was in talks with a potential buyer, which apparently turned out to be Eleven Sports.

One Word Sports was formed in 2010 and is owned by Dallas-based One Media Corp. The network primarily offers NASL soccer games – One Media’s chairman is former New York Cosmos owner Seamus O’Brien – English soccer from Arsenal FC, Chelsea FC, FC Barcelona, and FC Bayern Munich and top soccer from Asia and the Pacific Rim. The network also telecasts the England National Cricket Team’s international home matches, Kontinental Hockey League, Champions Hockey League, Chinese Basketball Association, OneAsia Golf Tour, and table tennis and badminton competitions around the world.

Whether that programming would continue under new owners remains to be seen. The Cosmos were purchased in January by Mediacom Communications chairman, CEO and founder Rocco Commisso., who has said while a TV deal is critical, it is more of a long-term priority than a short-term one.

The New York Cosmos soccer team, now principally owned by Mediacom Communications chairman and CEO Rocco Commisso, has a new home stadium -- MCU Park in Brooklyn, N.Y. -- and will open the North American Soccer League season there on April 1, the team said today.

The Cosmos, rescued by Commisso's acquisition from dire financial straits, had been looking for a new place to play, preferably somewhere in New York City. MCU Park, near the Coney Island boardwalk, where a minor league affiliate of the New York Mets plays baseball, is that place and it will be the team's home field for 16 regular season games.

“When I took control of the club on January 10th, our immediate priorities were to stabilize the NASL, re-hire the Cosmos front office personnel and coaching staff, rebuild our team roster and relocate to a fan friendly venue within the five boroughs,” Cosmos chairman Commisso said in a team press release. “In less than a month, we have achieved those objectives, including re-signing many of the starters from our 2016 Championship Team. During the Cosmos’ inaugural season in 1971, the team played at Yankee Stadium. With our move to MCU Park in Brooklyn, we are not only able to offer fans easy access to a one-of-a-kind entertainment experience, but we are also reconnecting the club to its original New York City roots. Adding the excitement of Cosmos’ games to Coney Island’s already vibrant atmosphere will be a win-win for our club and soccer enthusiasts throughout the metropolitan area.”

The team last played its home games at a stadium on the campus of Hofstra University on Long Island.

The team's release had quotes from city luminaries including Mayor Bill de Blasio and from New York Mets COO Jeff Wilpon, who said: "We are thrilled to showcase MCU Park as a multi-purpose venue and welcome the Cosmos, a storied franchise in American soccer history. All New York area soccer fans will enjoy watching the Cosmos make their mark in Brooklyn."

Yankee Stadium now is the home of New York City FC of Major League Soccer.

The Cosmos also said season-ticket packages go on sale on Friday, Feb. 3.

Securing a new TV deal for the New York Cosmos soccer club isn’t the first priority for its new owner, Mediacom Communications founder, chairman and CEO Rocco Commisso, but it is definitely on the agenda.

The Cosmos, one of the better-known names in the second-tier North American Soccer League, had been tied to a rights deal with One World Sports, which has struggled on its own and is currently seeking a buyer. Commisso’s deal to acquire the Cosmos from Sela Sports and former Cosmos chairman Seamus O’Brien does not involve One World Sports.

The Mediacom chairman is now the majority owner — O’Brien retains a minority interest in the club — of the soccer team that once held court for the biggest names in the sport. Under another former media mogul, the late Warner Communications chairman Steve Ross, the Cosmos fielded teams in the 1970s with such icons as Pelé, Giorgio Chinaglia, Franz Beckenbauer and Carlos Alberto.

A lifelong soccer fan — he said during a conference call announcing the deal that he turned down a chance to join the group that purchased Italian soccer club A.S. Roma in 2011 out of loyalty to rival Juventus, his boyhood favorite team — Commisso pledged to help rebuild the Cosmos, starting with paying back wages to players and front office staff. The TV deals will come later.

“It’s crucial long-term; it’s not crucial today,” Commisso said of securing a new TV deal. “I have lots of contacts out there. It’s on the agenda to deal with the broadcasting rights and the cable rights.”

REBUILD EFFORT

Of more urgent importance are matters like putting the team back together after players were allowed to find other places to play because the Cosmos’s finances were so dire before Commisso (hailed as a savior on the call by team chief operating officer Erik Stover) stepped in. The team has only three players under contract at the moment. The Cosmos also lack a home stadium, though Commisso said the aim is to find a stadium within New York City’s five boroughs.

The NASL already has a rights deal with beIN Sports and CBS Sports Network to carry games, but some critics have said the Cosmos separate deal with OWS has hurt viewership. The fledgling NASL, a Division II league under top-tier Major League Soccer, has lost clubs over the years and has struggled to find an audience.

Currently, the NASL has contracted from 12 teams to eight, a number that Commisso hopes to grow. “I think I am getting into this situation with my eyes open,”he said on the call. “I think I bring my entrepreneurial experience, my resources, the connections I have worldwide with the financial community and the media community.”

GOAL: GROW THE LEAGUE

One of the conditions of Commisso’s deal was that the U.S. Soccer Federation affirm the NASL’s Division II status, which the governing body did on Jan. 6. The USSF also moved the third-tier United Soccer League (from which the NASL sprung in 2011) to Division II, which could fuel speculation about a future merger. The USL currently has about 30 teams.

Both leagues were granted provisional status, meaning they still have to meet requirements around the number of teams (at least 12 by the sixth year of operation), locations (at least 75% in major metro areas) and minimum financial guidelines for team owners. While USSF has granted waivers for the leagues in the past, it said it would work with NASL and USL to meet the necessary criteria.

According to reports, Division II status brings public relations and marketing benefits from the perception that play is more competitive, which also could lead to better TV deals and bigger crowds. Division-two teams also get to appear later in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, a single-elimination tournament that includes teams from all three divisions, including MLS, as well as from amateur leagues.

Mediacom Communications founder, chairman and CEO Rocco Commisso pledged to right the New York Cosmos soccer club in a press conference call Tuesday, starting off by paying back wages to players and front office staff and culminating in rebuilding the ailing team.

“We found our savior,” said Cosmos chief operating officer Erik Stover, speaking of Commisso on the conference call. “A savior for this club and I believe very strongly a savior that has helped the North American Soccer League going. A leader that can help the league grow and help this club grow.”

Commisso agreed to buy the club from Sela Sports and former chairman Seamus O’Brien. The deal was done at a breakneck pace – at the conference Commisso said he was first contacted by the Cosmos on the Friday before Christmas at 10 a.m.; by 1 p.m. the next day they had hammered out the basics of a deal. The biggest holdup was getting the U.S. Soccer Federation to assure that the league the Cosmos play in  -- the North American Soccer League – would continue as a Division II entity.  With its second tier status intact, Commisso said the deal was reached quickly.

The Mediacom chairman is now the majority owner – O’Brien retains a minority interest in the club – of the soccer team that once held court for the biggest names in the sport. Under another former media mogul – the late Warner Communications chairman Steve Ross – the Cosmos fielded teams in the 1970s with such icons as Pele, Giorgio Chinaglia, Franz Beckenbauer and Carlos Alberto.

Commisso started off the press conference on a somber note, offering condolences to the family of former Cosmos player Roberto Cabanas, who died at age 55 of a heart attack Monday. Cabanas had played for the Cosmos for five seasons beginning in 1980 and was the second highest scorer in team history.

Commisso got right back to business on the conference call, adding that he is committed to the team’s success. Although terms of the deal were not disclosed, Commisso added that he is willing to do what it takes to filed a successful team.

“I think I am getting into this situation with my eyes open,” Commisso said on the call. “I think I bring my entrepreneurial experience, my resources, the connections I have worldwide with the financial community and the media community.”

His first priority will be to pay back wages to players and front office personnel. That could happen as early as Thursday, Stover said on the conference call. Commisso added that his next priority will be to secure key employees and management for the team, including Stover and head coach Giovanni Savarese, in whom Commisso said he has complete confidence.

While Savarese will be tasked with rebuilding the player roster – the Cosmos have lost six players, including 2016 league MVP Juan Arango – that may not be as difficult as it seems. The Cosmos won the NASL Soccer Bowl in 2016 but the club expected the 36-year old Arango to play just another year. And, Yohandry Orozco, another top player last year, was mainly there to get fit and showcase his talents for other clubs.

Commisso’s other task will be finding a venue for the team to play. The Cosmos lost their right to play at Hofstra University’s Shuart Stadium and has been talking to other colleges – including Commisso’s alma mater Columbia University – and minor league baseball’s Brooklyn Cyclones for use of its MCU Park in Coney Island. Whatever the decision – and it has to be made fairly quickly as the regular season starts on April 1 – Commisso said the goal is to have the team play within the five boroughs of New York City.

With the deal the team’s TV rights, formerly locked up with One World Sports, revert back to the Cosmos. That would free the team to negotiate with other networks – like BeIN Sports and CBS Sports which already carry other NASL contests. But Commisso said while important, securing a TV deal is not an immediate priority.

“It’s crucial long-term, it’s not crucial today” Commisso said. “I have lots of contacts out there. It’s on the agenda to deal with the broadcasting rights and the cable rights.”

Mediacom Communications founder, chairman and CEO Rocco Commisso is close to purchasing iconic professional soccer franchise the New York Cosmos, with some reports claiming the cable baron could take control of the team as early as this week.

UPDATE, Jan. 10, 2017: It’s Official: Commisso Purchases NY Cosmos

The Cosmos plan to hold a press conference tomorrow morning (Jan. 10) at 11:30 a.m. to offer an update on the team's plans for the 2017 season. No further details were available but sources familiar with the situation said it is likely the fete is to introduce new ownership.

The Cosmos, once the home of soccer legends Pele, Giorgio Chinaglia and Franz Beckenbauer during its heyday in the 1970s, has fallen on hard times of late, reportedly furloughing workers and deep in debt.

Currently owned by Sela Sports and One Word Sports owner Seamus O’Brien, the Cosmos have lost as much as $30 million over the past several years, according to some reports.

About six players have already left the club, including 2016 league MVP Juan Arango, to sign with other teams.

The team also has been looking for a permanent home – it previously held games at Hofstra University’s Shuart Stadium in Long Island, but was ousted from that venue earlier. The team has been negotiating to play at MCU Park in Coney Island, N.Y., home of Class A minor league baseball team the Brooklyn Cyclones. The NASL regular season starts in April.

Commisso was seen as a savior for the team, which has been seeking a buyer for months.

One of the conditions of the deal was that the league the team plays in – the North American Soccer League – retain its Division II status with its parent league the MSL. That was achieved last Friday – governing body U.S. Soccer Federation granted provisional Division II status to the NASL as well as former Division III league the USL on Friday.

On its website, the Cosmos confirmed full participation in the NASL’s 2017 season, adding that the affirmation of the league’s Division II status “allows us to move forward with confidence.”

According to reports, Commisso was expected to pay back wages for players and front office staff once he assumed control of the team. O’Brien is expected to retain a minority interest.

Reports began to surface last week that Commisso was in line to purchase the Cosmos. A native of Calabria, Italy, Commisso was a college soccer star at Columbia University, where he served as co-captain of the soccer team in the 1970s and was invited to try out for the 1972 U.S. Olympic Soccer squad. Columbia named its soccer stadium after Commisso in 2013,  acknowledging his strong support of the soccer program over the years. He is still an avid fan of the sport and is said to have an encyclopedic knowledge of the game.

Niche sports channel One World Sports has furloughed certain workers in an effort to cut costs, and the network is in talks with a potential buyer.

News of the furloughs was first reported by sports web site Awful Announcing. 

According to sources familiar with the company, a potential investor One World Sports was courting dropped out of the picture, which forced the sports network to look for short-term cost cutting opportunities, including the furloughs. One World also is in talks to sell the channel to an investor that can help it scale expenses.

According to Awful Announcing, the troubles at One World are much deeper. Citing anonymous sources, the website said that despite president and CEO Sandy Brown’s characterization of the furloughs as temporary and involving “some” employees, every employee has been let go and that the company regularly missed payroll and failed to pay vendors.

In addition, Awful Announcing reported that Brown told employees Sunday that he was seeking a buyer and if one wasn’t found this week, One World Sports would file for bankruptcy protection. 

In a brief interview, Brown told Multichannel News that much of Awful Announcing’s information was inaccurate, but he wouldn’t give specifics.

“We’re very excited about where the network is headed,” Brown said in an interview. “We’ve got a very bright future and we’ve just got to get through this.”

While he said he could not give specifics about sales talks, he was confident a deal will be reached soon.

“I think we’re going to get this resolved,” Brown said.

One Word Sports was formed in 2010 and is owned by Dallas-based One Media Corp. The network primarily offers NASL soccer games – One Media’s chairman is New York Cosmos owner Seamus O’Brien – English soccer from Arsenal FC, Chelsea FC, FC Barcelona, and FC Bayern Munich and top soccer from Asia and the Pacific Rim. The network also telecasts the England National Cricket Team’s international home matches, Kontinental Hockey League, Champions Hockey League, Chinese Basketball Association, OneAsia Golf Tour, and table tennis and badminton competitions around the world.

The Cosmos and the NASL also are having difficulty. ESPNFC reported that the Cosmos denied reports of shutting shut down operations and said the club's future would be decided after wrapping up negotiations with the league. The NASL itself is having problems and other club owners are currently meeting in Atlanta with potential investors in the hopes of keeping the second-tier league afloat.

One World Sports is available in about 43 million U.S. homes and has carriage deals, mainly on sports tiers, with Charter Communications, DirecTV, Verizon Fios, Mediacom Communications, RCN, Atlantic Broadband and others.  

This item was updated on Dec. 1 to correct a reference to the ESPNFC story linked above.

One World Sports has expanded its relationship with the New York Cosmos through a renewal deal.

Under the multiplatform pact, financial terms of which were not disclosed, One World Sports will televise all of the 30 team's 2015 NASL regular-season games, as the upcoming campaign will mark the first time the global sports service will air the team's away matches.

“Cosmos fans have been clamoring to see away games,” said Alexander “Sandy” Brown, One World Sports president and CEO.  “Thanks to our new agreement, we’ll be able to ensure fans can catch all the action throughout the spring and fall NASL seasons.”

In the New York area, Cosmos fans will be able to watch the club on Cablevision’s Optimum TV, channel 1159; Dish Network, channel 9794; Verizon FiOS, channel 309; and RCN, channel 571. 

One World Sports is also available on mobile devices via a Watch One World Sports app for authenticated customers.

For the April 4 spring season opener, the Cosmos head to Fort Lauderdale to face the Strikers, which made the 2014 NASL playoffs. The April 18 home opener will see the Cosmos battle the Tampa Bay Rowdies at Hofstra University’s Shuart Stadium.

"This is great news for our fans and another step in the growth our club and the NASL," Cosmos COO Erik Stover said.  "One World Sports, with its very high-quality production values, has been a tremendous partner for us, so we’re delighted that our road games will also be broadcast this season.”

The full Cosmos schedule will be available on ONEWorldSports.com as the season approaches.

About ONE World Sports

ONE World Sports is a multiplatform sports network featuring exclusive best-in-class sporting events, live from around the globe. The network was created to fulfill American sports fans’ growing demand for global sports.  ONE World Sports delivers live and exclusive coverage of some of America’s most popular sports played outside the USA – basketball, baseball, golf and ice hockey – plus sporting events with the largest global following, including soccer and cricket.

ONE World Sports showcases some of the world’s most competitive soccer, including Arsenal FC, Chelsea FC, FC Bayern Munich, AC Milan, and the New York Cosmos, along with top soccer from Asia and the Pacific Rim. The network also exclusively telecasts the England National Cricket Team’s international home matches, Japan’s legendary baseball team, the Yomiuri Giants, Kontinental Hockey League, Champions Hockey League, Chinese Basketball Association, OneAsia Golf Tour and the top competitions in table tennis and badminton from around the world.

ONE World Sports is available via Verizon FiOS, DISH Network, Charter Communications, Cablevision’s Optimum TV, Mediacom Communications, Hawaiian Telcom, Google Fiber, RCN, Atlantic Broadband and a growing number of systems through the NCTC.

ONE World Sports, headquartered in Stamford, CT, is owned and operated by ONE Media Corp., which also owns and operates ONE CONNXT, a global HD/SD broadcast video transport services provider; and America ONE Sports, a leading provider of live broadband sports.

For more info, see www.oneworldsports.com.

One World Sports is now kicking it around on RCN.

Beginning today, the global sports network is now available to RCN digital TV subscribers on the provider’s Premiere Sports Tier in both the standard- (channel 393) and high-definition format (571) in the New York DMA and throughout most of the distributor’s footprint.

The deal, financial terms of which were not disclosed, will afford RCN subscribers in New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, Washington, D.C. and Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley with more than 3,000 hours annually of exclusive sporting events, including baseball from Japan, basketball from China, cricket from England, ice hockey from Europe and Russia and golf and soccer from around the world. 

The deal should bolster the Big Apple audience for New York Cosmos, the 2013 North American Soccer League champions.  One World, which is also carried by Verizon FiOS, Dish Network, Charter Communications, Cablevision, Mediacom Communications, Hawaiian Telcom and Google Fiber, is the Cosmos’ television home, and also features programming from renowned international soccer clubs via Arsenal FC TV, Chelsea FC TV and FC Bayern Munich TV. In January 2015, the network will also carry live, exclusively in the United States, the AFC Asian Cup, an international soccer tournament.  

“Global sports programming such as that provided by One World Sports appeals to our diverse customer base whose appetite for sports extends across the globe,” said Chris Fenger, RCN executive vice president and COO.  “Like RCN, One World Sports is an independent provider nimble enough to target a diverse audience segment with a strong emphasis on delivering high quality content. More and more people are showing interest in international sports offered by ONE World Sports, and we are excited to make these events available to our viewers.”

“Our agreement with RCN gives us an additional foothold in the New York market, where we’re seeing particularly strong demand, as well as an entrance to other key top-10 markets,” said Randy Brown, executive vice president of distribution of One World Sports.  “In fact, all of RCN’s markets, spanning the East from Boston to Virginia, plus west to Chicago, present an excellent opportunity for our network, since our research shows that these regions demonstrate a solid fan interest in soccer and other global sports.”