| Industry | Cable television |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1984 (1984) |
| Founder | William Bresnan |
| Defunct | June 13, 2010 (2010-06-13) |
| Fate | Acquired byCablevision, later sold toCharter Communications |
| Successor | Charter Communications |
| Headquarters | , |
Area served | United States, Chile, Poland |
| Divisions | Bresnan International Partners |
Bresnan Communications was an Americancable television provider. Founded in 1984 and at one point active in the United States, Chile, and Poland, it was acquired byCablevision in 2010, renamedOptimum West, and then sold toCharter Communications in 2013.
Bresnan Communication was formed byWilliam Bresnan in 1984. It originally operated cable systems onMichigan's Upper Peninsula. Over the next fourteen years, its operations spread toMinnesota,Wisconsin,Mississippi andGeorgia. In 1994, the company added international operations inChile andPoland, with the creation of Bresnan International Partners. The company reached 400,000 subscribers after purchasing systems fromTCI. WhenAT&T acquired TCI, Bresnan began to consider an IPO. Before that could occur,Paul Allen'sCharter Communications made an offer, and purchased Bresnan's U.S. cable systems for $3.1 billion,[1] organizing them under Charter Communications' umbrella.
Bresnan re-entered the cable business in April 2002, with the $735 million purchase of formerAT&T Broadband Rocky Mountain systems fromComcast. The acquisition included some 300,000 subscribers inMontana,Wyoming,Utah andColorado.
Its founder, William Bresnan, died in 2009, after which the company was put up for auction byProvidence Equity Partners, its majority shareholder. Minority stakeholders included Comcast andQuadrangle Group. In 2010, Bresnan Communications stated it had 320,000 customers in the United States.Cablevision acquired Bresnan on June 13, 2010 for $1.37 billion and rebranded the systems asOptimum West.[2] In February 2013, Charter Communications agreed to buy the former Bresnan systems for $1.625 billion.[3]
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