Every Ted Turner sports franchise he owned over the years
The late Ted Turner was a sports owner extraordinaire beyond his work founding CNN and other cable networks.
Ted Turner lived an extraordinary life, with the media mogul's influence in so many different places. His resume feels like it's a mile long. The CNN founder died at the age of 87 -- no cause of death was listed in the statements released -- and as the world mourned, everyone was reminded of the fact that he was not just a cable news pioneer.
He was a sports owner of multiple franchises in multiple leagues, with some serious success for at least one of them under his watch. So let's run down the list of the teams and leagues he owned: Atlanta Braves #OTD in 1976, Ted Turner buys the Atlanta Braves from the Atlanta-LaSalle Corporation The Braves were a key asset and I had to go for it. Major League Baseball was high-quality programming for Channel 17 and by owning the team I would control its long-term TV rights.
Plus,ā¦ pic. twitter. com/e42hspwk4A ā Braves on TBS (@BravesOnWTBS) January 6, 2026 Back in 1976, he bought the Braves and was there when the team rose to dominance in the mid-1990s, which included the World Series win in 1995.
The franchise was sold to Liberty Media in 2007. Atlanta Hawks He bought the majority stake of the NBA franchise in 1977, with the Hawks finding consistency while he was owner despite not winning a championship. Atlanta Thrashers He was the owner of the expansion NHL franchise before he left what was then known as AOL Time Warner.