Media giant and CNN founder Ted Turner has died at the age of 87. He passed away Wednesday at his home near Tallahassee, according to a family spokesperson. The news closes the chapter on a bold and often unpredictable life that changed both television and sports.
Turner was not a quiet figure. He built things big and fast, took risks that others avoided, and many of them paid off.
Turner also left a strong mark on sports. He owned the Atlanta Braves and helped turn them into a national brand. By broadcasting games across the country, he brought the team into millions of homes. Fans who had never been to Atlanta suddenly had a favorite team.
In 2018, Turner shared that he was battling Lewy body dementia. The disease causes a steady decline in mental ability. It also brings physical symptoms similar to Parkinson’s disease.
Turner purchased the Braves in January 1976 following a 67-94 season by the club, saying at a news conference: “I don’t want to see any more headlines calling Atlanta ‘Loserville U.S.A.’ I want to see Winnersville U.S.A.,'” He helped open baseball’s free agent price wars by signing pitcher Andy Messersmith shortly after buying the team and once managed the club for a day — May 11, 1977.
The Braves won a World Series in 1995.
“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,” the team said in a statement. “Ted’s visionary leadership and innovative approach to broadcast television transformed the Braves into ‘America’s Team.’
“… 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.”
His legacy is hard to ignore. He changed television, expanded sports audiences, showed that bold ideas, even the risky ones, can reshape entire industries.
In addition to owning the Braves, Turner bought a majority stake in the Hawks in 1977. He said at the time that he purchased the team to keep it from moving out of the Atlanta area. The Hawks made the playoffs 15 times during Turner’s ownership, and the club retired a jersey in honor of him in 2004.
“I am deeply saddened by the passing of Ted Turner — a true original, a visionary, and a force of nature whose impact will be felt for generations,” Hawks principal owner Tony Ressler said in a statement. “… For me personally, owning the Atlanta Hawks and following in his footsteps — even in a small way — has been one of the great honors of my life.”
Ted Turner lived loudly, built fearlessly, and he leaves behind a world that looks different because of him.
