TNT Sports (United States)

Last updated
TNT Sports
FormerlyTBS Sports (1981–1995)
Turner Sports (1995–2022)
Warner Bros. Discovery Sports (2022–2023)
Company type Division
Industry Broadcasting
Genre Sports
PredecessorWarnerMedia News & Sports (2019–2022)
Discovery Sports (2001–2022)
Founded1979;45 years ago (1979)
Headquarters Atlanta, Georgia
Key people
 Luis Silberwasser (Chairman and CEO, TNT Sports) [1] [2]
Andrew Georgiou (President, WBD Sports Europe)
BrandsTNT Sports
Eurosport
Services
Parent Turner Broadcasting System (1979–2019)
WarnerMedia News & Sports (2019–2022)
Warner Bros. Discovery (2022–present)
Website wbd.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.

Contents

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]

Following the formation of WBD, the company's international sports operations were branded "Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Europe", or simply "WBD Sports". These properties include Eurosport, as well as the TNT Sports channels in the UK.

History

As TBS Sports/Turner Sports

Former Turner Sports logo Turner Sports logo.svg
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

Warner Bros. Discovery Sports logo WBD-Sports.svg
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

Other properties

TNT Sports Interactive properties

WBD Sports Europe properties

Former properties

AT&T SportsNet

Global Cycling Network

Motor Trend Group

Turner South

CNN/SI

TBS

TNT

Turner Sports Interactive

truTV

B/R Live

First-run syndication

Prime Sports

Notable TNT Sports personalities (past and present)

^D denotes deceased.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TNT (American TV network)</span> American pay television channel

TNT is an American basic cable television channel owned by the Warner Bros. Discovery Networks unit of Warner Bros. Discovery that launched on October 3, 1988. TNT's original purpose was to air classic films and television series to which Turner Broadcasting maintained spillover rights through its sister station TBS. Since June 2001, the network has shifted its focus to dramatic television series and feature films, along with some sporting events, as TBS shifted its focus to comedic programming.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Turner Broadcasting System</span> American media conglomerate (1965–2019)

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. was an American television and media conglomerate founded by Ted Turner in 1965. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it merged with Time Warner on October 10, 1996. As of April 2022, all of its assets are now owned by Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD). The headquarters of Turner's properties were largely located at the CNN Center in Downtown Atlanta, and the Turner Broadcasting campus off Techwood Drive in Midtown Atlanta, which also houses Techwood Studios. Some of their operations were housed within WBD's corporate and global headquarters inside 30 Hudson Yards in Manhattan's West Side district, and at 230 Park Avenue South in Midtown Manhattan, both in New York City, respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TruTV</span> American cable and satellite television channel

TruTV is an American basic cable channel owned By Warner Bros Discovery. The channel primarily broadcasts reruns of comedy, docusoaps and reality shows, with a recent strong primetime focus on live sports.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NBA TV</span> American sports pay television network

NBA TV is an American sports-oriented pay television network owned by the National Basketball Association (NBA) and operated by Warner Bros. Discovery through TNT Sports. Dedicated to basketball, the network features exhibition, regular season and playoff game broadcasts from the NBA and related professional basketball leagues, as well as NBA-related content including analysis programs, specials and documentaries. The network is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The network also serves as the national broadcaster of the NBA G League and WNBA games. NBA TV is the oldest subscription network in North America to be owned or controlled by a professional sports league, having launched on November 2, 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ernie Johnson Jr.</span> American sportscaster

Ernest Thorwald Johnson Jr. is an American sportscaster for TNT Sports. He is the television voice and a studio host for Major League Baseball on TBS, hosts Inside the NBA for TNT and NBA TV, and contributes to the joint coverage of the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament for TNT Sports and CBS Sports. His father was Ernie Johnson Sr., a Major League Baseball pitcher and Atlanta Braves play-by-play announcer.

<i>NBA on TNT</i> NBA basketball telecasts aired by cable network TNT

NBA on TNT is an American presentation of National Basketball Association (NBA) games, produced by TNT Sports. In the United States, the TNT cable network has held the rights to broadcast NBA games since 1989, making it TNT's longest-running regular program and sporting event, dating back to only a year after TNT's launch on October 3, 1988. Its telecasts have also been streamed on its Max platform since 2023. TNT's NBA coverage includes the Inside the NBA studio show, weekly doubleheaders throughout the regular season on Tuesdays and Thursdays, a majority of games during the first two rounds of the playoffs, and one conference finals series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NBA on television</span>

National Basketball Association (NBA) games are televised nationally in the United States, as well as on multiple local channels and regional sports networks. Since the 2002–03 season, broadcast channel ABC, and pay TV networks ESPN and TNT have nationally televised games. Throughout most of the regular season, ESPN shows doubleheaders on Wednesday and Friday nights, while TNT shows doubleheaders on Tuesday and Thursday nights. In the second half of the season, ABC shows a single game on Saturday nights and Sunday afternoons. Games are shown almost every night on NBA TV. There are some exceptions to this schedule, including Tip-off Week, Christmas Day, and Martin Luther King Jr. Day. More games may be shown as the end of the regular season approaches, particularly games with playoff significance. During the playoffs, the first round are split between TNT, ESPN, NBA TV, and ABC on mostly weekends the second round are split between ESPN, TNT and ABC on weekends. The conference finals are split between ESPN/ABC and TNT; the two networks alternate which complete series they will carry from year to year. The entire NBA Finals is shown nationally on ABC. The NBA Finals is one of the few sporting events to be shown on a national broadcast network on a weeknight. Two new partners are set to join ESPN/ABC in televising the NBA in the 2025–26 season, with NBC Sports and Amazon Prime Video replacing TNT.

<i>Inside the NBA</i> Postgame show for NBA on TNT broadcasts

Inside the NBA, branded for sponsorship purposes as Inside the NBA presented by Kia, is the halftime and postgame studio show for NBA on TNT broadcasts. The show is currently hosted by Ernie Johnson, joined on set by three analysts: Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley, and Shaquille O'Neal. Notable former analysts have included Magic Johnson (2003–2007), Reggie Miller (2008–2011), and Chris Webber (2008–2011). Since the early 2000s, the show has consistently been rated as among the best sports analysis shows on American television, and over its history has won nineteen Sports Emmy Awards.

In the United States, sports are televised on various broadcast networks, national and specialty sports cable channels, and regional sports networks. U.S. sports rights are estimated to be worth a total of $22.42 billion in 2019, about 44 percent of the total worldwide sports media market. U.S. networks are willing to pay a significant amount of money for television sports contracts because it attracts large amounts of viewership; live sport broadcasts accounted for 44 of the 50 list of most watched television broadcasts in the United States in 2016.

TNT Sports has occasionally televised college football games on its networks since 1982; that year, under an agreement with the NCAA, TBS became the first broadcaster to nationally televise college football on cable. After the NCAA broadcasting package was dismantled in 1984 following a Supreme Court ruling, TBS would broadcast SEC football from 1984 to 1992, along with selected bowl games through 2000.

<i>NCAA March Madness</i> (TV program) Broadcasts of the NCAA mens basketball tournament by CBS Sports and TNT Sports

NCAA March Madness is the branding used for coverage of the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament that is jointly produced by CBS Sports, the sports division of the CBS television network, and TNT Sports, the national sports division of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) in the United States. Through the agreement between CBS and WBD, which began with the 2011 tournament, games are televised on CBS, TNT, TBS and truTV. CBS Sports Network has re-aired games from all networks.

TNT Sports is a group of pay television sports channels in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Now owned by Warner Bros. Discovery and BT Group, they first launched as BT Sport on 1 August 2013.

The NHL on TNT is an American presentation of National Hockey League (NHL) games produced by TNT Sports, and televised on TNT and streamed on Max in the United States.

NBC Sports's deal with the National Hockey League for U.S. television rights ran through the 2020–21 season, and was replaced in 2021–22 by seven-year agreements with ESPN and TNT to split coverage.

Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. (WBD) is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered in New York City. It was formed from WarnerMedia's spin-off by AT&T and merger with Discovery, Inc. on April 8, 2022.

College Basketball on TNT Sports is the de facto title of college basketball coverage produced by TNT Sports for TNT, TBS, TruTV and NBA TV.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Venu Sports</span> Proposed American ESPN/Fox/TNT sports bundle

Venu Sports, or simply Venu, is a proposed sports-focused streaming service in the United States, to be operated as a joint venture between the Walt Disney Company, Fox Corporation, and Warner Bros. Discovery. Announced on February 6, 2024, it was originally scheduled to launch by fall 2024, with each of the three partners owning one-third of the venture, subject to the negotiation of final contracts between them.

NBA on Prime Video is the upcoming branding used for broadcasts of National Basketball Association (NBA) games on the subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming and rental service Amazon Prime Video.

References

  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. 1 2 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. 1 2 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. 1 2 Lewis, Jon (2024-11-17). "WSJ: TNT to license "Inside the NBA" to ESPN/ABC". Sports Media Watch. Retrieved 2024-11-17.
  17. ↑ "TNT Sports and Mountain West Reach Multi-Year College Football Agreement Beginning This Season". Mountain West Conference. 1 July 2024.
  18. ↑ 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.
  19. ↑ "Turner, WME-IMG Get in the Esports Game With Own League". AdAge. 23 September 2015.
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  21. ↑ "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.
  22. ↑ "Max to Welcome Live Cycling in the US on Feb. 8". TNT Sports (Press release). January 25, 2024. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
  23. ↑ Stern, Adam (March 7, 2024). "WBD's TNT Sports lands rights to MotoGP coverage in U.S." Sports Business Journal. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
  24. ↑ White, Peter (2024-03-19). "MMA Championship Bellator Moves From Showtime To Max". Deadline. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
  25. ↑ Steinberg, Brian (2024-06-07). "Warner Bros. Discovery Snares U.S. Rights to French Open (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 2024-06-07.
  26. ↑ Marchand, Andrew. "French Open, TNT Sports agree to 10-year, $650 million deal". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2024-06-07.
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  29. ↑ "Turner wins NCAA digital rights". ESPN. Associated Press. September 21, 2010. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
  30. ↑ Russ, Hilary (February 7, 2019). "Turner Sports inks deal with Caesars for Bleacher Report betting..." Reuters . Atlanta . Retrieved March 25, 2019.
  31. ↑ "Mariners to take full control of ROOT Sports NW, clouding team's financial outlook". The Seattle Times. 2023-12-15. Retrieved 2023-12-21.
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  33. ↑ Spangler, Todd (2024-02-23). "MotorTrend+ Streaming Service Will Shut Down, With Most Subscribers to Be Migrated to Discovery+". Variety. Retrieved 2024-02-24.
  34. ↑ "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.
  35. ↑ "Turner Sports Reaches Multi-Year Agreement to Present NCAA National Collegiate Beach Volleyball Championship". Turner Sports. 26 April 2016. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
  36. 1 2 Ourand, John (February 24, 2017). "Turner's Soccer Shocker". SportsBusinessDaily.com. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
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  38. ↑ "Turner Sports New Media, PGA Tour Ink Multi-Year Web Deal". www.sportsbusinessdaily.com. September 12, 2006. Retrieved 2020-08-18.
  39. ↑ "Report: Turner secures US streaming rights for SPL". SportsPro. Retrieved 2018-07-31.
  40. ↑ "Where to find soccer leagues and competitions on US TV and streaming".
  41. ↑ 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.
  42. ↑ "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.
  43. ↑ 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.
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