Julian Brodsky, Comcast Co-Founder and Cable Industry Pioneer, Dies at 93

Julian Brodsky, a cable television pioneer and financial strategist who co-founded Comcast more than six decades ago, has died at the age of 93. The company announced his death on Friday, saying he died peacefully while surrounded by family in hospice care on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026.

Brodsky joined forces with Comcast founder Ralph J. Roberts and co-founding partner Daniel Aaron in the company's earliest days, starting with the 1963 acquisition of a small cable television system in Tupelo, Mississippi. Operating out of what Comcast described as a modest office near Philadelphia, the trio built the groundwork for what would eventually become one of the world's leading media and technology companies.

Brian L. Roberts, chairman of Comcast, paid tribute to Brodsky in a statement. "Julian was an extraordinary leader, a brilliant financial mind and one of the architects of cable television," he said, describing Brodsky as a trusted partner and close friend to his father, Ralph, and someone he was fortunate to learn from over many years. Roberts credited him as one of the most creative financiers of his generation, while noting that he also established a culture of financial integrity, uncompromising standards and respect for colleagues that remains central to the company.

"Julian was a mentor and a friend, and his contributions to our company and our community cannot be overstated," Roberts added. "We will miss him deeply, and our thoughts are with his family and everyone who knew and loved him."

Born in Philadelphia on July 16, 1933, Brodsky attended Overbrook High School and graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. After serving two years in the U.S. Army, he began his career as a certified public accountant. While working as an auditor, he developed an early fascination with the emerging cable television business, an interest that would shape the rest of his career.

As Comcast's longtime chief financial officer, Brodsky played a key role in financing the company's expansion and raising capital. The company credits him with guiding major acquisitions that turned Comcast from a small regional operator into an industry leader. Comcast described him as one of the industry's earliest financial innovators, someone who helped establish cable television's credibility as an investment and demonstrated its long-term potential to banks, institutional investors and Wall Street while the business was still young.

Brodsky was central to Comcast's initial public offering in 1972 and helped build the company's reputation for financial integrity and disciplined management. In 1999, he and Ralph Roberts formed Comcast Interactive Capital, now known as Comcast Ventures, to invest in early-stage technology companies. He became Comcast's non-executive vice chairman in 2004 and retired from the company and its board of directors in 2011.

His industry contributions earned him numerous honors, including induction into the Cable Television Hall of Fame in 2003 and the National Cable & Telecommunications Association's Distinguished Vanguard Award. Beyond his corporate work, Brodsky was a dedicated philanthropist and supporter of the Philadelphia community. With Lois, his wife of 70 years, he backed numerous cultural and educational institutions, including the Philadelphia Museum of Art, where he served as a trustee for nearly three decades. In October 2026, the couple announced a $20 million gift to establish the Lois G. and Julian A. Brodsky Learning and Engagement Center.

In addition to his wife, Brodsky is survived by their three daughters, Debra Brodsky, Ellen Brodsky and Laura Brodsky, his brother, Marc Brodsky, and four grandchildren. He was predeceased by his parents, David and Esther Brodsky. A private memorial service will be held, and a celebration of his life will be announced at a later date.