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Ted Turner, the pioneering media mogul and former owner of the Atlanta Braves, Atlanta Hawks, and World Championship Wrestling (WCW), passed away on Wednesday at the age of 87. His company, Turner Enterprises, confirmed his death. Turner had publicly disclosed in 2018 that he was battling Lewy Body Dementia, a progressive brain disorder, and was hospitalized with pneumonia in 2025. His passing marks the end of an era defined by audacious business ventures, transformative sports ownership, and unparalleled innovation in broadcast media.
An Ohio native who became synonymous with the Atlanta business landscape, Turner’s influence stretched across multiple industries, fundamentally reshaping how sports and news were consumed. He was widely recognized as a cable television pioneer, founding groundbreaking entities such as CNN, the world’s first 24-hour cable news station, and TBS, which became the nation’s inaugural cable superstation, alongside TNT.
The Atlanta Braves organization released a statement acknowledging Turner’s profound impact: "Our good friend and former owner, Ted Turner, was one of a kind – a brilliant businessman, consummate showman and passionate fan of his beloved Braves. Ted’s visionary leadership and innovative approach to broadcast television transformed the Braves into ‘America’s Team.’ Under his stewardship, the ballclub experienced one of the greatest runs of sustained excellence in Major League Baseball history and brought a World Series championship to Atlanta in 1995. Ted was also a legendary philanthropist whose compassion and generosity extended across the globe. We will miss you, Ted. You helped make us who we are today, and the Atlanta Braves are forever grateful for the impact you made on our organization and in our community."
Turner’s foray into professional sports began in 1976 when he acquired the Atlanta Braves for a reported $12 million. At the time, the Braves were a struggling Major League Baseball franchise, often languishing at the bottom of the National League standings. However, Turner saw an opportunity to leverage the team as signature programming for his fledgling WTBS cable network. This strategic move was instrumental in the birth of the "superstation" concept, allowing the Braves’ games to be broadcast nationwide, transforming a regional team into a national phenomenon and earning them the moniker "America’s Team."
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In the initial years of his ownership, the Braves’ on-field performance remained largely dismal, often finishing last or near-last in their division. This challenging period underscored Turner’s role as a promotional maverick. Out of necessity, he employed relentless and creative marketing efforts to keep the team in the public eye. One of his most memorable, albeit brief, exploits occurred in 1977 when he took over as manager for one game, citing the team’s ongoing losing streak. This unconventional move, while generating significant media attention, was quickly halted by the National League, which deemed it a violation of league rules. Despite the early struggles, Turner’s innovative broadcasting and promotional tactics buoyed the team’s economic fortunes and laid the groundwork for future success.
The Braves’ fortunes on the field began to shift with Turner’s strategic personnel decisions. In 1978, he hired Bobby Cox as manager, marking the beginning of a long and impactful relationship. Cox would later return for a second, more celebrated tenure in 1990, coinciding with another pivotal hire: General Manager John Schuerholz, whom Turner recruited from the Kansas City Royals. This leadership duo, empowered by Turner’s vision, embarked on a transformative journey.
Under Cox and Schuerholz, the Braves began to cultivate an impressive homegrown talent base, which included future Hall of Famers and perennial All-Stars such as pitchers Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, and John Smoltz, along with third baseman Chipper Jones. These core players, supplemented by shrewd trade acquisitions and free-agent signings, propelled the Braves into an unprecedented era of dominance. The team made a dramatic run to the World Series in 1991, ultimately falling in a legendary Game 7 against the Minnesota Twins, a series widely regarded as one of the greatest in baseball history.
This 1991 season marked the beginning of an extraordinary streak: the Braves would go on to win 14 consecutive division titles from 1991 to 2005 (excluding the strike-shortened 1994 season), a feat unmatched in professional sports. Their near-constant presence on TBS broadcasts during this period solidified their national brand. Turner’s persistent efforts and long-term investment culminated in the franchise’s crowning achievement under his ownership: the 1995 World Series championship, bringing the title to Atlanta for the first time. The following year, in 1996, Turner sold the Braves to Time Warner as part of a massive merger, a deal reportedly valued at approximately $400 million for the team.
Beyond baseball, Turner’s sports portfolio extended to professional basketball. He owned the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks from 1977 to 1982. During his tenure, the Hawks experienced limited postseason success, managing to win only a single playoff series. Despite the team’s mixed results on the court, Turner’s ownership marked another chapter in his extensive involvement with Atlanta sports franchises.
Turner also left an indelible mark on the world of professional wrestling. In 1988, he founded World Championship Wrestling (WCW) after acquiring the assets of Jim Crockett Promotions. Under Turner’s ownership, WCW rapidly grew to become the chief rival of Vince McMahon’s World Wrestling Federation (WWF), sparking what became known as the "Monday Night Wars." WCW’s flagship program, "Monday Nitro," famously challenged and, for a remarkable 83 consecutive weeks, surpassed McMahon’s "Monday Night Raw" in television ratings. This period saw WCW introduce innovative storylines, recruit top talent like Hulk Hogan, Sting, and Ric Flair, and launch the New World Order (nWo) faction, which revolutionized professional wrestling narratives. However, the intense rivalry eventually saw WWF (now WWE) regain its ground. In 2001, following the AOL Time Warner merger, WCW’s assets were ultimately purchased by the WWF, marking the end of Turner’s significant impact on the wrestling industry.
Turner’s personal achievements extended beyond his media and sports empires. He was an accomplished yachtsman, famously winning the prestigious America’s Cup race in 1977 as the skipper of the yacht "Courageous." His name also graced the home of his beloved Braves for nearly two decades; Turner Field, originally constructed as the main stadium for the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, was rebranded and became the Braves’ home from 1997 until 2016. In recognition of his groundbreaking leadership in cable news and his broader influence, Turner was named Time Magazine’s "Man of the Year" in 1991.
Ted Turner is survived by his five children, 14 grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. His legacy as a fearless entrepreneur, a visionary in media, and a transformative figure in American sports will continue to resonate across the industries he so profoundly shaped.
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