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 Roberts, who set up Comcast after he bought a small cable television
operator in Tupelo, Mississippi in 1963, died of natural causes in
Philadelphia, Comcast said in a statement.
From selling ads to golf clubs and men's accessories in his early
years, Roberts ambitiously ventured into America's fledgling cable
industry. He led Comcast from its humble beginnings to a $150
billion media conglomerate.
Roberts, who was chairman emeritus of Comcast's board, had spent
more than five decades at the company.
"Ralph was a born entrepreneur, a visionary businessman, a
philanthropist and a wonderful human being," the company said in a
statement.
After about a decade of building out cable networks and signing up
subscribers, Comcast went public on the Nasdaq under Roberts' helm
in 1972.
A sharply-dressed businessman, who often donned tailored suits and
bow ties, Roberts was a dogged deal maker. In 1986, he led the
acquisition of a 26 percent stake in Group W Cable expanding its
customer base to more than a million.
The purchase of AT&T Broadband, the cable service of telephone giant
AT&T Inc, for $30 billion in 2001, catapulted Comcast into the No. 1
U.S. cable TV operator with more than 21 million subscribers.
His son, Brian Roberts, took on the top post at Comcast in 2002 and
has since been its CEO. The Roberts family forayed into the media
business by acquiring NBC Universal that includes broadcast, cable,
movie studio and theme park businesses.
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"He has left a lasting legacy on the communications landscape of
America,” U.S Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler
said in a statement.
After a slew of acquisitions over the years, Comcast's plan to buy
its rival Time Warner Cable was upset by regulatory opposition in
April.
"He exemplified the value of working hard and treating others with
kindness and respect," TWC CEO Rob Marcus said in a statement. "His
influence has extended far beyond Comcast and cable."
Roberts is survived by Suzanne Roberts, his wife of more than 70
years, four children and eight grandchildren.
(Reporting by Malathi Nayak in New York and Anya George Tharakan in
Bengaluru,; additional reporting by Alina Selyukh; Editing by
Saumyadeb Chakrabarty and Andrew Hay)
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