Sports division of Warner Bros. Discovery (Broadcasting)
TNT Sports
(formerly known as
Turner Sports
from 1995 to 2022, and as
Warner Bros. Discovery Sports
from 2022 to 2023) is the division of
Warner Bros. Discovery
(WBD) that is responsible for
sports broadcasts
on its parent company's streaming service
Max
and on their various cable channels in the United States, primarily
TruTV
,
TBS
, and
TNT
. It also operates the online digital media outlets for the
NCAA
,
NBA
,
PGA Tour
, and
PGA of America
. TNT Sports also operates the sports news website
Bleacher Report
, as well as
NBA TV
on behalf of the NBA. It also owns a minority share in the
MLB Network
.
It began in the 1970s as the sports division of
Turner Broadcasting System
's basic cable networks, with separate TNT Sports and
TBS Sports
brands for TNT and TBS, respectively. A unified Turner Sports brand was then introduced in 1995, followed by Turner Broadcasting merging into
Time Warner
in 1996. Then following
AT&T
's acquisition of Time Warner in 2018, Turner Sports was combined with
CNN
and
AT&T SportsNet
into a new division known as WarnerMedia News & Sports.
[3]
In 2022, Warner Bros. Discovery was formed after AT&T spun off
WarnerMedia
and the latter merged with
Discovery, Inc.
, and Turner Sports was subsequently merged with the Discovery Sports division to form Warner Bros. Discovery Sports. The division was then rebranded to TNT Sports in fall 2023.
[4]
Internationally, the division was branded as
Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Europe
following the merger with Discovery, which operated
Eurosport
. Following a rebrand in 2023, Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Europe is set to rebrand the international division as
TNT Sports International
, making both divisions known as TNT Sports.
History
[
edit
]
As Turner Sports
[
edit
]
The division began in the 1970s as the sports division of
Turner Broadcasting System
's basic cable networks, with separate
TBS
Sports
and
TNT
Sports
brands for TBS and TNT, respectively. In 1995, a unified
Turner Sports
rebranding began to be used, accompanied by an intro and outro sequence featuring the voice of
CNN Headline News
anchor
Don Harrison
and music from
Edd Kalehoff
. In 1996, Turner Sports became a division of
Time Warner
after it merged with Turner Broadcasting System.
Turner Broadcasting also owned
WPCH-TV
, the former WTBS, which was the longtime television home for
Major League Baseball
's
Atlanta Braves
. The relationship with WPCH ended after the
2013 season
, and the station itself was sold in 2017.
In August 2012, Turner Sports acquired the sports news website
Bleacher Report
for $175 million.
[5]
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 the
NCAA
,
NBA League Pass
, and others.
[6]
Following
AT&T
's acquisition of Time Warner in 2018, it was announced in March 2019 that the
Turner Broadcasting System
would be dissolved, and its assets dispersed into
Warner Bros.
and two new units. Turner Sports was combined with
CNN
and the
AT&T SportsNet
regional sports networks
into a new division known as WarnerMedia News & Sports, led by CNN president
Jeff Zucker
.
[3]
In October 2020, Turner Sports announced a partnership with
DraftKings
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 competitor
FanDuel
.
[7]
As TNT Sports
[
edit
]
In 2022, Warner Bros. Discovery was formed with the
spin-off
of
WarnerMedia
by
AT&T
, and its merger with
Discovery, Inc.
Turner Sports was then renamed as
Warner Bros. Discovery Sports
, with the brand also being used for the division that manages Discovery's existing European and international sports assets such as
Eurosport
,
Golf Digest
, and
Global Cycling Network
.
[8]
In January 2024, WBD officially rebranded the entirety of the division as
TNT 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 of
BT Sport
after WBD acquired a controlling stake in the broadcaster.
[8]
On February 6, 2024, WBD announced a joint venture with
ESPN Inc.
and
Fox Sports
to offer a sports streaming bundle, named
Venu Sports
, including the three organizations' main linear sports channels and associated media rights, beginning in fall 2024.
[9]
On March 7, 2024, WBD announced a new evening and primetime block for
TruTV
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.
[10]
Current properties
[
edit
]
- NBA on TNT
(
1989
?present)
- Exclusive national regular season Thursday night games
- Exclusive national regular season Tuesday night games outside of in-season tournament.
- NBA in-season tournament
:
- Exclusive Tuesday night conference group play games
- Exclusive Eastern and Western Conference quarterfinal round in-season tournament games
- Exclusive Western Conference in-season tournament's semifinal game (even years only)
- Exclusive Eastern Conference in-season tournament's semifinal game (odd years only)
- Martin Luther King Day games
(annually)
- NBA All-Star Weekend
(
2003
?present)
- Inside the NBA
- NBA play-in tournament
:
- Exclusive 7?8 seeded games, both conferences (2022?present).
- Exclusive Eastern Conference No. 8 seed game (odd-numbered years)
- Exclusive Western Conference No. 8 seed game (even-numbered years)
- NBA playoffs
(
1990
?present)
- First round (generally Sundays through Thursdays, and selected Saturday games, co-exists with regional broadcasts)
- Second round (generally Sundays through Wednesdays, and selected Saturday games)
- Exclusive Eastern Conference Finals (odd-numbered years)
- Exclusive Western Conference Finals (even-numbered years)
- Spanish language simulcasts on
CNN en Espanol
in the United States.
- MLB on TBS
(
2007
?present)
- Tuesday night games (
2022
?present) (1 game every week during the regular season, co-exists with regional broadcasts)
[11]
- MLB Leadoff
- MLB Closer
- MLB postseason
(select playoff games/overflow on
TNT
)
- NHL on TNT
[12]
(
2021
?present)
- Up to 72 exclusive national games per-season (Wednesdays and some Sundays in the second half of the season)
- NHL Face Off
- NHL Post Game
- Winter Classic
(annually)
- Thanksgiving Showdown (annually since 2022)
- Stadium Series
(2021 only)
- Heritage Classic
(selected years, the Heritage Classic is not held every season)
- Stanley Cup playoffs
(games also on TBS)
- 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; 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,
[13]
TNT then broadcasts the other series).
- Exclusive
Stanley 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).
- College Basketball on TNT Sports
- NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
(2011?present; in partnership with
CBS Sports
)
- First Four on
truTV
(except for 2021 which aired on both truTV and TBS)
- First and second rounds on
TNT
,
TBS
, and
truTV
with
CBS
- Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight split between TBS and CBS
- Final Four in 2014 and 2015 on TBS
- Final Four and National Championship in even-numbered years from 2016 until 2032 (except 2020 due to
COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
) (airs on
TBS
; TNT and truTV may also air simulcasts or alternative broadcasts)
- NBA HBCU Classic (2021?present)
- Invesco QQQ Legacy Classic (2021?present)
- Hall of Fame Series (2023?present)
- College Football Playoff
(2024?present, two first round games in sublicensing agreement with
ESPN
)
[14]
- ELeague
(Turner Sports/WME-IMG Partnership, since 2016)
[15]
[16]
- Golf
- The Match
(2018?present) (airs in simulcast across TNT, TBS, TruTV, and
HLN
)
- U.S. Soccer
(2023?present)
[17]
- Cycling (2024?present) (airs on
Max
)
[18]
- FIA World Endurance Championship
(2018?present)
- All session coverage on
MotorTrend
and streaming live on
Max
starting from 2024
- MotoGP
(2024?present)
[19]
- Saturday sprint races and Sunday grand prix air on
TruTV
- Moto2
and
Moto3
air on Max
- Bellator MMA
(2024?present)
[20]
- Events streaming on Max
- Supplemental content on TruTV
Other properties
[
edit
]
TNT Sports Interactive properties
[
edit
]
- NCAA.com
- 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.
[21]
[22]
- NBA.com
- PGA.com
- Bleacher Report
(
website
)
Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Europe properties
[
edit
]
Former properties
[
edit
]
- GCN+ and GCN App (closed on December 19, 2023)
[26]
Turner South
[
edit
]
CNN/SI
[
edit
]
Turner Sports Interactive
[
edit
]
- NASCAR.com (2001?2013)
[31]
- NASCAR.COM, and the organization's other digital and social media platforms, were managed by Turner Sports from 2001 to 2013.
- PGATOUR.COM (2006?2012)
[32]
- Turner Sports New Media partnered with the PGA Tour to operate PGATOUR.com, the official site of the tour.
- GolfTV
truTV
[
edit
]
B/R Live
[
edit
]
First-run syndication
[
edit
]
Prime Sports
[
edit
]
Notable TNT Sports personalities (past and present)
[
edit
]
^D
denotes deceased.
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
Mullin, Benjamin; Draper, Kevin (June 9, 2022).
"Warner Bros. Discovery Picks Sports Chief to Navigate Streaming Era"
.
The New York Times
.
ISSN
0362-4331
. Retrieved
June 9,
2022
.
- ^
Steinberg, Brian (June 9, 2022).
"Warner Bros. Discovery Taps Luis Silberwasser as News Sports Chief"
.
Variety
. Retrieved
June 9,
2022
.
- ^
a
b
Feiner, Lauren (March 4, 2019).
"Layoffs expected as WarnerMedia reorganizes its leadership team after AT&T acquisition"
.
CNBC
. Retrieved
March 4,
2019
.
- ^
"TNT Sports and Cosm Announce Partnership to Deliver Live Sports in "Shared Reality" Immersive Venues"
.
Press.WBD.com
(Press release). Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. October 31, 2023
. Retrieved
February 27,
2024
.
- ^
Lunden, Ingrid (August 6, 2012).
"Update: It's Done. Time Warner Buys Bleacher Report, Price Reportedly $175M"
.
TechCrunch
. Retrieved
September 18,
2019
.
- ^
Spangler, Todd (March 27, 2018).
"Turner Sports Unveils 'Bleacher Report Live' Pay-Streaming Service"
.
Variety
. Retrieved
March 25,
2019
.
- ^
Young, Jabari (15 October 2020).
"DraftKings strikes another media partnership, this time with AT&T's Turner Sports"
. CNBC
. Retrieved
13 April
2021
.
- ^
a
b
Weprin, Alex (2024-01-18).
"So Long WBD Sports, Hello TNT Sports"
.
The Hollywood Reporter
. Retrieved
2024-01-18
.
- ^
Mullin, Benjamin; Draper, Kevin (February 6, 2024).
"Disney, Fox and Warner Bros. Join Forces for Sports Streaming Service"
.
The New York Times
. Retrieved
February 7,
2024
.
- ^
Steinberg, Brian (2024-03-07).
"Warner Bros. Discovery to Overhaul TruTV With Sports; Sets Nightly Block for Games and More (EXCLUSIVE)"
.
Variety
. Retrieved
2024-03-07
.
- ^
"Turner Sports and Major League Baseball Reach Seven-Year Media Rights Extension Through 2028"
(Press release). New York:
Warner Bros. Discovery
. September 24, 2020
. Retrieved
December 14,
2020
.
- ^
"The NHL Comes to Turner"
(Press release). New York:
Warner Bros. Discovery
.
- ^
Young, Jabari (July 9, 2021).
"NHL moving to Turner Sports is $1 billion risk-reward for hockey"
.
CNBC
.
New York
:
NBCUniversal
.
- ^
Jeyarajah, Shehan (May 22, 2024).
"College Football Playoff to feature select games on TNT Sports in sublicense deal with ESPN through 2028"
.
CBS Sports
. Retrieved
May 22,
2024
.
- ^
"Turner, WME-IMG Get in the Esports Game With Own League"
.
AdAge
. 23 September 2015.
- ^
Spangler, Todd (September 24, 2015).
"Turner, WME/IMG Form E-Sports League, With TBS to Air Live Events"
.
Variety
.
Los Angeles
:
Penske Media Corporation
. Retrieved
March 25,
2019
.
- ^
"WarnerMedia signs eight-year deal with U.S. Soccer for men's and women's national team matches"
.
Awful Announcing
. 2022-03-01
. Retrieved
2022-03-02
.
- ^
"Max to Welcome Live Cycling in the US on Feb. 8"
.
TNT Sports
(Press release). January 25, 2024
. Retrieved
January 25,
2024
.
- ^
Stern, Adam (March 7, 2024).
"WBD's TNT Sports lands rights to MotoGP coverage in U.S."
Sports Business Journal
. Retrieved
March 7,
2024
.
- ^
White, Peter (2024-03-19).
"MMA Championship Bellator Moves From Showtime To Max"
.
Deadline
. Retrieved
2024-03-19
.
- ^
"CBS Sports, Turner Broadcasting, NCAA Reach 14-Year Agreement"
.
NCAA
(Press release).
Indianapolis
: Warner Bros. Discovery Sports. April 21, 2010. Archived from
the original
on November 9, 2013
. Retrieved
March 25,
2019
.
- ^
"Turner wins NCAA digital rights"
.
Associated Presswebsite
=ESPN. September 21, 2010
. Retrieved
June 28,
2022
.
- ^
Russ, Hilary (February 7, 2019).
"Turner Sports inks deal with Caesars for Bleacher Report betting..."
Reuters
.
Atlanta
. Retrieved
March 25,
2019
.
- ^
Sutton, Mark (April 23, 2021).
"Discovery Inc takes full ownership of Play Sports Group"
. Cycling Industry News
. Retrieved
May 23,
2022
.
- ^
"Mariners to take full control of ROOT Sports NW, clouding team's financial outlook"
.
The Seattle Times
. 2023-12-15
. Retrieved
2023-12-21
.
- ^
"GCN+ and GCN App to close"
.
Global Cycling Network
. Retrieved
2024-02-12
.
- ^
Spangler, Todd (2024-02-23).
"MotorTrend+ Streaming Service Will Shut Down, With Most Subscribers to Be Migrated to Discovery+"
.
Variety
. Retrieved
2024-02-24
.
- ^
"Turner Sports Reaches Multi-Year Agreement to Present NCAA National Collegiate Beach Volleyball Championship"
.
NCAA.com
. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. 26 April 2016
. Retrieved
27 April
2016
.
- ^
"Turner Sports Reaches Multi-Year Agreement to Present NCAA National Collegiate Beach Volleyball Championship"
. Turner Sports. 26 April 2016
. Retrieved
27 April
2016
.
- ^
a
b
Ourand, John (February 24, 2017).
"Turner's Soccer Shocker"
.
SportsBusinessDaily.com
. Retrieved
February 24,
2017
.
- ^
"Turner Sports Acquires NASCAR's Internet Rights; NASCAR Online to be Produced by Turner Sports"
.
WarnerMedia
. Retrieved
2020-08-18
.
- ^
"Turner Sports New Media, PGA Tour Ink Multi-Year Web Deal"
.
www.sportsbusinessdaily.com
. September 12, 2006
. Retrieved
2020-08-18
.
- ^
"Report: Turner secures US streaming rights for SPL"
.
SportsPro
. Retrieved
2018-07-31
.
- ^
"Where to find soccer leagues and competitions on US TV and streaming"
.
- ^
Bupp, Phillip (July 31, 2018).
"Turner Sports to broadcast 46 Champions League matches on TNT, offer B/R Live subscription on per match basis"
.
AwfulAnnouncing.com
. Retrieved
March 25,
2019
.
- ^
"Legendary Hall of Fame Broadcaster Marv Albert Announces His Retirement Following TNT's Coverage of 2021 NBA Eastern Conference Finals"
.
pressroom.warnermedia.com
.
WarnerMedia
. May 17, 2021
. Retrieved
July 4,
2021
.
- ^
Bieler, Des (January 27, 2022).
"Warriors' Draymond Green signs deal with Turner Sports while still active in NBA"
.
The Washington Post
. Retrieved
May 28,
2022
.
- ^
"Ernie Johnson bio"
.
www.turner.com
. Retrieved
February 1,
2019
.
- ^
"Shaquille O'Neal and Turner Sports reach multi-year extension"
.
NBA.com
. August 24, 2020
. Retrieved
May 28,
2022
.
- ^
"Catch up with Turner Sports rising star Roslyn Gold-Onwude"
.
TheShadowLeague.com
. Retrieved
February 1,
2019
.
- ^
"Candace Parker & Turner Sports Reach Multi-Year Extension"
.
pressroom.warnermedia.com
.
WarnerMedia
. September 9, 2019
. Retrieved
May 28,
2022
.
- ^
"Dwyane Wade signs deal to be NBA Analyst for TNT"
.
ESPN
. Retrieved
October 22,
2019
.
External links
[
edit
]
|
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Executives
| Board of directors
| |
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Senior management
| |
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|
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Warner Bros.
Entertainment
| Warner Bros.
Motion Picture Group
| |
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Warner Bros.
Television Group
| United States
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International
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Other units
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U.S. linear networks
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Home Box Office
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CNN Worldwide
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TNT Sports
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Global Streaming
& Interactive
Entertainment
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Global Brands and
Experiences
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International
Networks
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| Pan-Asia
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East Asia
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South Asia
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Southeast Asia
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Australasia
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Online
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Defunct
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| France, Belgium & Switzerland
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Germany
, Benelux & CEE
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Italy
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Scandinavia
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Iberia
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UK & Ireland
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Turkey
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Middle East & Africa
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Defunct
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| TV channels
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FAST channels
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Online services
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Other assets
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Former units
| from WB
| |
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from
Turner
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from HBO
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from
Discovery
& Scripps
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See also
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Current:
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American football:
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Auto racing:
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Baseball:
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Basketball:
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Beach volleyball:
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Boxing:
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Golf (
TNT
):
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Soccer
:
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Olympics (
TNT
):
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Tennis (
TNT
):
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Professional wrestling:
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Mixed martial arts:
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Slap fighting:
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eSports:
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Pan American Games
:
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Warner Bros. Discovery Sports & News
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TNT Sports
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CNN Global
(News Group)
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Streaming affiliation
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Broadcast Networks
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Cable Networks
| General
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Pro league affiliated
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College specific
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Sport specific
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Sports betting
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Outdoor
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Occasional coverage
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Streaming Services
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Pro league affiliated
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Sport specific
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Sports betting
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Outdoor
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Ring sports
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Occasional coverage
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Regional
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Syndication
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