TNT Sports' formation dates back to the 1970s as the sports division ofTurner Broadcasting System's basic cable networks, with separate TNT Sports andTBS Sports brands for TNT and TBS, respectively. A unifiedTurner Sports brand was then introduced in 1995, followed by Turner Broadcasting merging intoTime Warner in 1996. FollowingAT&T's acquisition of Time Warner in 2018 (which would becomeWarnerMedia), Turner Sports was combined withCNN andAT&T SportsNet into a new division known asWarnerMedia News & Sports.[3]
In 2022, Warner Bros. Discovery was formed after AT&T spun off WarnerMedia, who merged withDiscovery, Inc. WarnerMedia News & Sports was split into two: CNN Worldwide and Turner Sports, with the latter being combined with Discovery Sports to createWarner Bros. Discovery Sports, although this was just a rename of Turner Sports, which was the surviving company. The division slowly began to adopt its current branding in fall 2023, named after TNT.[4] However, it was not until January 18, 2024, that the unit would officially rebrand as TNT Sports.[5][6]
The company's European sports operations such asTNT Sports andEurosport folded into "Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Europe".[7]
The division began in April 6, 1973,[8][9] afterTed Turner (founder ofTurner Broadcasting System) added theAtlanta Braves baseball games to hisUHF stationWJRJ in Atlanta, Georgia.[10] The games aired onTurner Broadcasting System's basic cable networks until Turner bought rights on January 6, 1976.[11][12] By 1979, Superstation WTBS was available in most homes in North America.[13] During the 1980s, the division began using separate brands such asTBS Sports andTNT Sports for TBS and TNT, respectively. In 1995, a unifiedTurner Sports rebranding began to be used, accompanied by an intro and outro sequence featuring the voice ofCNN Headline News anchorDon Harrison and music fromEdd Kalehoff. In 1996, Turner Sports became a division ofTime Warner after it merged with Turner Broadcasting System.
Turner Broadcasting also ownedWPCH-TV, the former WTBS, which was the longtime television home forMajor League Baseball'sAtlanta Braves. The relationship with WPCH ended after the2013 season, and the station itself was sold in 2017.
In August 2012, Turner Sports acquired the sports news websiteBleacher Report for $175 million.[14]
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 theNCAA,NBA League Pass, and others.[15]
In October 2020, Turner Sports announced a partnership withDraftKings 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 competitorFanDuel.[16]
In 2022, Warner Bros. Discovery was formed with thespin-off of WarnerMedia by AT&T, and its merger withDiscovery, Inc. Turner Sports was then renamed asWarner Bros. Discovery Sports after its merger with the sports divisions for WarnerMedia and Discovery, with the brand also being used for the division that manages Discovery's existing European and international sports assets such asEurosport,Golf Digest, andGlobal Cycling Network.[17]
In January 2024, WBD officially rebranded the entirety of the division asTNT 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 ofBT Sport (after WBD acquired a controlling stake in the broadcaster).[17]
On February 6, 2024, WBD announced a joint venture withESPN Inc. andFox Sports to offer a sports streaming bundle, namedVenu Sports, including the three organizations' main linear sports channels and associated media rights, beginning in fall 2024. The service was ultimately cancelled.[18]
On March 7, 2024, WBD announced a new evening and primetime block forTruTV 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.[19] The division sold its majority stake of theMotor Trend Group toHearst Communications in 2024.
On August 12, 2025, TNT Sports announced plans to launch its new standalone streaming service after the corporate WBD split is finalized.[20][21]
Selected first and second round games (on TNT primarily on days when not airing the NBA, depending on which league begins their postseason first or if both leagues start their playoffs at roughly the same time (from 2021–2025); TBS may broadcast on any day when not airing MLB or AEW wrestling; first round co-exists with regional broadcasts)
One exclusive conference finals series per season (ESPN/ABC has first choice as to which conference to air,[24] TNT then broadcasts the other series).
ExclusiveStanley Cup Finals (odd-numbered years on TNT; TBS and truTV may also air simulcasts or alternative broadcasts).
NHL Awards (odd-numbered years on TNT; alternates with ESPN).
AEW Dynamite (First Live Television on Wednesday Night and exclusively broadcast on TBS since 2022) (2019–present)
AEW Collision (Second Live Television on Saturday Night and exclusively broadcast on TNT except other sports conflicts which then airs on TBS) (2023–present)
First Four ontruTV (except for 2021 which aired on both truTV and TBS)
First and second rounds onTNT,TBS, andtruTV alongsideCBS
Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight split between CBS and TBS, with simulcasts of TBS games on TruTV
Final Four in 2014 and 2015 on TBS
Final Four and National Championship in even-numbered years from 2016 until 2032 (except 2020 due toCOVID-19 pandemic in the United States) (airs onTBS; TNT and truTV may also air simulcasts or alternative broadcasts)
Starting with the 2010–11 academic year and continuing through 2031–32, Turner has digital rights to all NCAA championships across all divisions in all sports except football. Under the deal, Turner also manages NCAA.com.[38][39]
In February 2019, Turner announced a deal with casino operatorCaesars Entertainment Corporation to open a Bleacher Report studio in the sportsbook atCaesars Palace to produce sports betting programming and gaming-related editorial content. The new studio is expected to begin distributing this content by early summer 2019.[40]
Exclusive Tuesday night conference group play games
Exclusive Eastern and Western Conference quarterfinal round in-season tournament games except for one Eastern conference quarterfinal game for ESPN in 2024.
Exclusive Western Conference NBA Cup tournament's semifinal game (2023)
Exclusive Eastern Conference NBA Cup tournament's semifinal game (2024)
