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Warner Bros. Discovery Global Linear Networks
American multinational media and entertainment conglomerate From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Warner Bros. Discovery Global Linear Networks (formerly known as Turner Entertainment Networks, WarnerMedia Studios & Networks and Warner Bros. Discovery Networks and briefly as WarnerMedia Entertainment[1]) is an American linear television company that is a division of Warner Bros. Discovery that oversees the operations of many of its television channels and assets owned and operated in the United States and other regions.
The division was created in 2019 by AT&T's WarnerMedia, combining with another division, Warner Bros. Entertainment to change itself to WarnerMedia Studios & Networks. The split came out in 2022 following the sale of WarnerMedia to Discovery, Inc., and finally, on May 5, 2025, Warner Bros. Discovery integrated its US and international television networks including Warner Bros. Discovery U.S. Networks into one division called Warner Bros. Discovery Global Linear Networks.
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Turner Entertainment Networks (1976–2019)
In 1970, Ted Turner purchased WJRJ-Atlanta, Channel 17, a small, Ultra High Frequency (UHF) station, and renamed it WTCG, for parent company Turner Communications Group.[2][3] During December 1976, WTCG originated the "superstation" concept, transmitting via satellite to cable systems.[2]
On December 17, 1976, at 1:00 pm, WTCG Channel 17's signal was beamed via satellite to its four cable systems in Grand Island, Nebraska; Newport News, Virginia; Troy, Alabama; and Newton, Kansas. All four cable systems started receiving the 1948 Dana Andrews – Cesar Romero film Deep Waters already in progress. The movie had started 30 minutes earlier. WTCG went from being a little television station to a major TV network that every one of the 24,000 households outside of the 675,000 in Atlanta was receiving coast-to-coast. WTCG became a so-called Superstation and created a precedent of today's basic cable television.
HBO had gone to satellite transmissions to distribute its signal nationally in 1975, but that was a service that cable subscribers were made to pay extra to receive. Ted Turner's innovation signaled the start of the basic cable revolution.
In 1979, the company changed its name to Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. (TBS, Inc.) and the call letters of its main entertainment channel to WTBS.
WarnerMedia Studios and Networks (2019–2022)
On March 4, 2019, AT&T would reorganize its broadcasting assets to effectively dissolve Turner Broadcasting System with its assets moving to the newly created WarnerMedia Entertainment with the unit consisting of HBO, TBS, TNT, TruTV, and an upcoming direct-to-consumer video service with Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Boomerang, and Turner Classic Movies would be moved under Warner Bros. Entertainment via the new "Global Kids & Young Adults" business unit.[4][5]
On August 10, 2020, the WarnerMedia Entertainment and Warner Bros. Entertainment television assets were merged to form WarnerMedia Studios & Networks Group with several of its units being reorganized in a major corporate revamp that resulted in TBS, TNT and TruTV being brought back under the same umbrella as Cartoon Network/Adult Swim, Boomerang and TCM with Casey Bloys—who was with WarnerMedia since 2004 (as director of development at HBO Independent Productions), being elevated to President of Programming at HBO and Cinemax in May 2016—added oversight of WarnerMedia's basic cable networks and HBO Max to his purview.[6][7]
Warner Bros. Discovery Global Linear Networks
Discovery Networks U.S.
In October 1996, Discovery Networks was formed by Discovery Communications to launch several networks, including Animal Planet, and the digital cable channels Discovery Kids, Discovery Travel & Living, Discovery Civilization, and Science Channel, with two years later being followed by the 1997 purchase of a 70% stake in Travel Channel, and the 1998 launches of Discovery en Español, Discovery Wings, and Discovery Health Channel.[8][9][10]
On July 31, 2017, Discovery announced it would acquire Scripps Networks Interactive, owner of networks such as Food Network, HGTV, and DIY Network, for $14.6 billion, with Discovery's brands being reorganized under different executives chief brand officers: SNI's chief programmer Kathleen Finch became chief brand officer of Lifestyle, overseeing TLC, the six former Scripps channels, and Discovery's other lifestyle networks, with Rich Ross, who formerly served as group president of Discovery and Science, stepping down, and being replaced by TLC president Nancy Daniels as chief brand officer of Discovery & Factual.[11][12]
Merger of both units
On May 17, 2021, three years after the acquisition, AT&T decided to sell its ownership of WarnerMedia in a merger with Discovery, Inc. to form a new publicly traded company, Warner Bros. Discovery. On April 8, 2022, WarnerMedia was divested by AT&T and merged with Discovery, Inc. to form Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD). All linear networks owned by the company, besides CNN, Turner Sports, and HBO being overseen by Kathleen Finch as head of Warner Bros. Discovery Networks.[13][14][15]
On August 16, 2024, it was announced that Kathleen Finch would retire as the head of Warner Bros. Discovery Networks at the end of the year. She would be succeeded by Channing Dungey, who is the chairwoman of the Warner Bros. Television Group division.[16]
On December 12, 2024, WBD announced plans to reorganize its studios, networks and direct-to-consumer/streaming divisions in mid-2025. These businesses will be reorganized into two units: "Streaming & Studios"—which will include Warner Bros., the DC-branded units, HBO, and Max, and "Global Linear Networks". Zaslav stated that the new structure would enable greater flexibility and "potential future strategic opportunities". It will also insulate WBD's declining cable networks from its more profitable studio and direct-to-consumer businesses.[17] The reorganizing has begun as of March 31, 2025, and was officially announced during the earnings call for the first quarter of that year.[18] Warner Bros. Discovery International became a unit of the division itself as a part of this decision.
Channels list
Current channels
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Former channels
- AT&T SportsNet – shut down on October 21, 2023[19][20]
- AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh – sold to Fenway Sports Group
- AT&T SportsNet Southwest – sold to a joint venture between the Houston Rockets and Houston Astros (50% stake)
- AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain – ceased operations at the end of 2023
- Root Sports Northwest (29% stake with Baseball Club of Seattle, LP) – had sold its stake to the Mariners in January 2024[21]
- BET Holdings, Inc. – 15% with Robert L. Johnson, BET executives and shareholders, Taft Television & Radio Company and Liberty Media/Tele-Communications, Inc., sold its stake in 1996.
- Discovery Health Channel and FitTV – merged to become Discovery Life. The former was replaced with the Oprah Winfrey Network.
- Discovery People – purchased from CBS in 1998, closed in 2000.
- Comedy Central (50% with Viacom) – HBO sold its stake in 2003.
- E! Entertainment Television – Time Warner's stake acquired by Comcast and The Walt Disney Company in 1997.
- Game Show Network, LLC — AT&T's 42% stake acquired by co-owner Sony Pictures Television in 2019.
- Great American Country – spun off into a new company known as Great American Media in 2021; this company also operates Great American Faith & Living.
- 3net – 3D television channel jointly owned by Discovery, Sony and IMAX Corporation; operated from 2011 to 2014
- Motor Trend – moved under TNT Sports before being sold to Hearst Communications in 2024.
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References
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