in 1997, cablevision acquired an interest in sunshine network and the fox sports net branded networks after news corporation and liberty media purchased a 40% interest in the charles dolan-owned company's sports properties including the sportschannel america networks (as well as madison square garden and its nba and nhl team tenants, the new york knicks and new york rangers) in a deal worth $850 million, forming the venture national sports partners to run the owned-and-operated regional networks.