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TNT Sports (United States)

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TNT Sports
FormerlyTBS Sports (1981–1995)
Turner Sports (1995–2022)
Warner Bros. Discovery Sports (2022–2023)
Company typeDivision
IndustryBroadcasting
GenreSports
PredecessorWarnerMedia News & Sports (2018–2022)
Discovery Sports (2001–2022)
Founded1979; 45 years ago (1979)
HeadquartersAtlanta, Georgia
Key people
Luis Silberwasser (Chairman and CEO, TNT Sports)[1][2]
Andrew Georgiou (President, TNT Sports International)
BrandsTNT Sports
Eurosport
Services
ParentTurner Broadcasting Company (1979-2019)
WarnerMedia (2019-2022)
Warner Bros. Discovery (2022-Present)
DivisionsTNT Sports International
Websitewbd.com/tnt-sports/
(United States)
discoverysports.com
(Europe)

TNT Sports is the division of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) in the United States that is responsible for sports broadcasts on its parent company's streaming service, Max, and primarily the TruTV, TBS, and TNT cable channels. The division also operates the online digital media outlets for the NCAA, NBA, PGA Tour, and PGA of America; the sports news website Bleacher Report; NBA TV, on behalf of the NBA; and also owns a minority share in the MLB Network.

TNT Sports' formation dates back to the 1970s as the sports division of Turner Broadcasting System's basic cable networks, with separate TNT Sports and TBS Sports brands for TNT and TBS, respectively. A unified Turner Sports brand was then introduced in 1995, followed by Turner Broadcasting merging into Time Warner in 1996. Following AT&T's acquisition of Time Warner in 2018 (which would become WarnerMedia), Turner Sports was combined with CNN and AT&T SportsNet into a new division known as WarnerMedia News & Sports.[3]

In 2022, Warner Bros. Discovery was formed after AT&T spun off WarnerMedia, and the latter merged with Discovery, Inc.. WarnerMedia News & Sports was subsequently merged with the Discovery Sports division to form Warner Bros. Discovery Sports. The division would adopt its current branding in Fall 2023.[4]

Internationally, the division was branded as Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Europe following the merger with Discovery, which operated Eurosport. Following a rebrand in 2023, Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Europe was rebranded the international division as TNT Sports International, unifying both divisions under the TNT Sports brand.

History

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As TBS Sports/Turner Sports

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Former Turner Sports logo

The division began in the 1970s as the sports division of Turner Broadcasting System's basic cable networks, with separate TBS Sports and TNT Sports brands for TBS and TNT, respectively. In 1995, a unified Turner Sports rebranding began to be used, accompanied by an intro and outro sequence featuring the voice of CNN Headline News anchor Don Harrison and music from Edd Kalehoff. In 1996, Turner Sports became a division of Time Warner after it merged with Turner Broadcasting System.

Turner Broadcasting also owned WPCH-TV, the former WTBS, which was the longtime television home for Major League Baseball's Atlanta Braves. The relationship with WPCH ended after the 2013 season, and the station itself was sold in 2017.

In August 2012, Turner Sports acquired the sports news website Bleacher Report for $175 million.[5]

In 2018, Turner Sports launched a subscription streaming service as a branch of Bleacher Report, known as B/R Live; it would be anchored by Turner's recently-acquired rights to the UEFA Champions League, while also featuring content from the NCAA, NBA League Pass, and others.[6]

Following AT&T's acquisition of Time Warner in 2018, it was announced in March 2019 that the Turner Broadcasting System would be dissolved, and its assets dispersed into Warner Bros. and two new units. Turner Sports was combined with CNN and the AT&T SportsNet regional sports networks into a new division known as WarnerMedia News & Sports, led by CNN president Jeff Zucker.[3]

In October 2020, Turner Sports announced a partnership with DraftKings to be the exclusive provider of daily fantasy and sports betting information for most Turner Sports and Bleacher Report properties, excluding the NBA due to its league-wide deal with competitor FanDuel.[7]

As TNT Sports

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Warner Bros. Discovery Sports logo

In 2022, Warner Bros. Discovery was formed with the spin-off of WarnerMedia by AT&T, and its merger with Discovery, Inc. Turner Sports was then renamed as Warner Bros. Discovery Sports, with the brand also being used for the division that manages Discovery's existing European and international sports assets such as Eurosport, Golf Digest, and Global Cycling Network.[8]

In January 2024, WBD officially rebranded the entirety of the division as TNT Sports. The brand had already been used for Turner Sports' networks in Latin America, and had also recently been introduced to the United Kingdom as a rebranding of BT Sport (after WBD acquired a controlling stake in the broadcaster).[8]

On February 6, 2024, WBD announced a joint venture with ESPN Inc. and Fox Sports to offer a sports streaming bundle, named Venu Sports, including the three organizations' main linear sports channels and associated media rights, beginning in fall 2024. Though it's launch was later temporarily blocked in August 2024 by a preliminary injunction in the midst of anti-trust lawsuit aganist the venture by FuboTV.[9][10]

On March 7, 2024, WBD announced a new evening and primetime block for TruTV focused on TNT Sports content beginning on March 11. This will include alternate broadcasts of sporting events carried by its sister networks, as well as new studio shows, and sports-related documentaries and films. The division's vice president Luis Silberwasser stated that the block would give TNT Sports a more "consistent" and "comprehensive" presence on its networks.[11]

Current properties

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Other properties

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TNT Sports Interactive properties

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TNT Sports International properties

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Former properties

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AT&T SportsNet

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Global Cycling Network

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  • GCN+ and GCN App (closed on December 19, 2023)[31]

Motor Trend Group

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Turner South

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CNN/SI

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TBS

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TNT

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Turner Sports Interactive

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  • NASCAR.com (2001–2013)[36]
    • NASCAR.COM, and the organization's other digital and social media platforms, were managed by Turner Sports from 2001 to 2013.
  • PGATOUR.COM (2006–2012)[37]
    • Turner Sports New Media partnered with the PGA Tour to operate PGATOUR.com, the official site of the tour.
  • GolfTV

truTV

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B/R Live

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First-run syndication

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Prime Sports

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Notable TNT Sports personalities (past and present)

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^D denotes deceased.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Mullin, Benjamin; Draper, Kevin (June 9, 2022). "Warner Bros. Discovery Picks Sports Chief to Navigate Streaming Era". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
  2. ^ Steinberg, Brian (June 9, 2022). "Warner Bros. Discovery Taps Luis Silberwasser as News Sports Chief". Variety. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
  3. ^ a b Feiner, Lauren (March 4, 2019). "Layoffs expected as WarnerMedia reorganizes its leadership team after AT&T acquisition". CNBC. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  4. ^ "TNT Sports and Cosm Announce Partnership to Deliver Live Sports in "Shared Reality" Immersive Venues". Press.WBD.com (Press release). Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. October 31, 2023. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
  5. ^ Lunden, Ingrid (August 6, 2012). "Update: It's Done. Time Warner Buys Bleacher Report, Price Reportedly $175M". TechCrunch. Retrieved September 18, 2019.
  6. ^ Spangler, Todd (March 27, 2018). "Turner Sports Unveils 'Bleacher Report Live' Pay-Streaming Service". Variety. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
  7. ^ Young, Jabari (15 October 2020). "DraftKings strikes another media partnership, this time with AT&T's Turner Sports". CNBC. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  8. ^ a b Weprin, Alex (2024-01-18). "So Long WBD Sports, Hello TNT Sports". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2024-01-18.
  9. ^ Mullin, Benjamin; Draper, Kevin (February 6, 2024). "Disney, Fox and Warner Bros. Join Forces for Sports Streaming Service". The New York Times. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
  10. ^ "Judge blocks ESPN, Fox, WB streaming venture". ESPN.com. 2024-08-16. Retrieved 2024-10-31.
  11. ^ Steinberg, Brian (2024-03-07). "Warner Bros. Discovery to Overhaul TruTV With Sports; Sets Nightly Block for Games and More (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
  12. ^ "Turner Sports and Major League Baseball Reach Seven-Year Media Rights Extension Through 2028" (Press release). New York: Warner Bros. Discovery. September 24, 2020. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
  13. ^ "The NHL Comes to Turner" (Press release). New York: Warner Bros. Discovery.
  14. ^ Young, Jabari (July 9, 2021). "NHL moving to Turner Sports is $1 billion risk-reward for hockey". CNBC. New York: NBCUniversal.
  15. ^ "BIG EAST Announces New Media Rights Agreement". Big East Conference. June 27, 2024. Retrieved June 27, 2024.
  16. ^ "TNT Sports and Mountain West Reach Multi-Year College Football Agreement Beginning This Season". Mountain West Conference. 1 July 2024.
  17. ^ Jeyarajah, Shehan (May 22, 2024). "College Football Playoff to feature select games on TNT Sports in sublicense deal with ESPN through 2028". CBS Sports. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
  18. ^ "Turner, WME-IMG Get in the Esports Game With Own League". AdAge. 23 September 2015.
  19. ^ Spangler, Todd (September 24, 2015). "Turner, WME/IMG Form E-Sports League, With TBS to Air Live Events". Variety. Los Angeles: Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
  20. ^ "WarnerMedia signs eight-year deal with U.S. Soccer for men's and women's national team matches". Awful Announcing. 2022-03-01. Retrieved 2022-03-02.
  21. ^ "Max to Welcome Live Cycling in the US on Feb. 8". TNT Sports (Press release). January 25, 2024. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
  22. ^ Stern, Adam (March 7, 2024). "WBD's TNT Sports lands rights to MotoGP coverage in U.S." Sports Business Journal. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
  23. ^ White, Peter (2024-03-19). "MMA Championship Bellator Moves From Showtime To Max". Deadline. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
  24. ^ Steinberg, Brian (2024-06-07). "Warner Bros. Discovery Snares U.S. Rights to French Open (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 2024-06-07.
  25. ^ Marchand, Andrew. "French Open, TNT Sports agree to 10-year, $650 million deal". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-06-07.
  26. ^ Lewis, Jon (2024-10-16). "TNT Sports acquires new "Unrivaled" 3x3 women's hoops league". Sports Media Watch. Retrieved 2024-10-17.
  27. ^ "CBS Sports, Turner Broadcasting, NCAA Reach 14-Year Agreement". NCAA (Press release). Indianapolis: Warner Bros. Discovery Sports. April 21, 2010. Archived from the original on November 9, 2013. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
  28. ^ "Turner wins NCAA digital rights". ESPN. Associated Press. September 21, 2010. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
  29. ^ Russ, Hilary (February 7, 2019). "Turner Sports inks deal with Caesars for Bleacher Report betting..." Reuters. Atlanta. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
  30. ^ "Mariners to take full control of ROOT Sports NW, clouding team's financial outlook". The Seattle Times. 2023-12-15. Retrieved 2023-12-21.
  31. ^ "GCN+ and GCN App to close". Global Cycling Network. Retrieved 2024-02-12.
  32. ^ Spangler, Todd (2024-02-23). "MotorTrend+ Streaming Service Will Shut Down, With Most Subscribers to Be Migrated to Discovery+". Variety. Retrieved 2024-02-24.
  33. ^ "Turner Sports Reaches Multi-Year Agreement to Present NCAA National Collegiate Beach Volleyball Championship". NCAA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. 26 April 2016. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
  34. ^ "Turner Sports Reaches Multi-Year Agreement to Present NCAA National Collegiate Beach Volleyball Championship". Turner Sports. 26 April 2016. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
  35. ^ a b Ourand, John (February 24, 2017). "Turner's Soccer Shocker". SportsBusinessDaily.com. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  36. ^ "Turner Sports Acquires NASCAR's Internet Rights; NASCAR Online to be Produced by Turner Sports". WarnerMedia. Retrieved 2020-08-18.
  37. ^ "Turner Sports New Media, PGA Tour Ink Multi-Year Web Deal". www.sportsbusinessdaily.com. September 12, 2006. Retrieved 2020-08-18.
  38. ^ "Report: Turner secures US streaming rights for SPL". SportsPro. Retrieved 2018-07-31.
  39. ^ "Where to find soccer leagues and competitions on US TV and streaming".
  40. ^ Bupp, Phillip (July 31, 2018). "Turner Sports to broadcast 46 Champions League matches on TNT, offer B/R Live subscription on per match basis". AwfulAnnouncing.com. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
  41. ^ "Legendary Hall of Fame Broadcaster Marv Albert Announces His Retirement Following TNT's Coverage of 2021 NBA Eastern Conference Finals". pressroom.warnermedia.com. WarnerMedia. May 17, 2021. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
  42. ^ Bieler, Des (January 27, 2022). "Warriors' Draymond Green signs deal with Turner Sports while still active in NBA". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
  43. ^ "Ernie Johnson bio". www.turner.com. Retrieved February 1, 2019.
  44. ^ "Shaquille O'Neal and Turner Sports reach multi-year extension". NBA.com. August 24, 2020. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
  45. ^ "Catch up with Turner Sports rising star Roslyn Gold-Onwude". TheShadowLeague.com. Retrieved February 1, 2019.
  46. ^ "Candace Parker & Turner Sports Reach Multi-Year Extension". pressroom.warnermedia.com. WarnerMedia. September 9, 2019. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
  47. ^ "Dwyane Wade signs deal to be NBA Analyst for TNT". ESPN. Retrieved October 22, 2019.
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