Report: MSG, James Dolan Family Foundation to Donate $1 Million Each to Support Event Staff

Madison Square Garden Company and Knicks owner James Dolan plan to donate $1 million each to support its event staff workers during the sports shutdown, according to SNY's Ian Begley.

The event staff employees received a memo saying they will be paid through at least May 3, and MSG's management team will also give $300,000 to the relief fund, per Begley. The team had originally said people would be paid in the short-term while it figures out a long-term plan.

MSG also owns the Hulu Theater, Radio City Music Hall and Beacon Theatre in New York, as well as the Chicago Theatre.

Multiple NBA teams and notable players have stepped up to help financially support arena workers who are out of work during the coronavirus pandemic. The NBA was the first major American sports league to suspend its season on March 11 after Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19. Shortly after the league announced its decision, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said he would set up a payment plan for his stadium's hourly workers, an initiative that has been co-opted throughout the sports world. 

Players like the Cavaliers' Kevin Love, the Pelicans' Zion Williamson and the Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo are among those who have pledged to help support their team's arena workers.

There are more than 621,630 confirmed cases of the virus globally in at least 177 countries. New York City is the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S. and has reported over 26,000 confirmed cases.