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Brief
Time Warner was acquired by AOL (Jan 2001) and acquired by AT&T Inc. (Jun 2018) (see deal), then rebranded to WarnerMedia (Jun 2018), then rebranded to Warner Bros. Discovery (Jan 2022), then acquired by Paramount Skydance (Sep 2026) (see deal)— see Paramount Skydance for current status.

Time Warner

Media & Entertainment Advertising

Time Warner delivered unmatched reach across premium cable, film, and digital content properties, enabling advertisers to engage mass and targeted audiences through some of the world's most recognized media brands.

Last updated Aug 1, 2026 by ATDb automated enrichment

Founded
1990
HQ
New York, New York, United States
Connections
19

At a glance

Employees
10001+
Revenue
$29B+ (2017 annual revenue)
Stock
TWX
9integrations1competitors1corporate family4acquisitions

About

Former top-tier global media conglomerate with dominant positions in cable TV, film, and digital advertising before brand retirement in 2018

Time Warner was one of the world's largest media and entertainment conglomerates, formed through the 1990 merger of Time Inc. and Warner Communications, with subsequent major expansions including the acquisition of Turner Broadcasting System in 1996. The company operated a vast portfolio of iconic properties spanning cable networks (HBO, CNN, TNT, TBS, Cartoon Network), film and television studios (Warner Bros.), and publishing assets, making it a dominant force across virtually every segment of the media landscape. Its advertising and content distribution capabilities gave it significant influence in the broader media ecosystem, including early-stage digital and programmatic advertising through its owned-and-operated properties. In the AdTech and media advertising space, Time Warner leveraged its premium content brands to command substantial advertising revenues across linear television, digital video, and streaming platforms. HBO's subscription model, combined with the ad-supported cable networks under Turner Broadcasting, created a dual-revenue engine that advertisers and media buyers closely tracked. The company also invested in data-driven advertising capabilities, particularly through Turner's Ignite platform, which offered audience targeting and advanced TV advertising solutions to brands and agencies. On June 14, 2018, AT&T completed its $85.4 billion acquisition of Time Warner, immediately rebranding the entity as WarnerMedia. The Time Warner name was formally retired, ending decades of brand recognition. WarnerMedia subsequently underwent further transformation when AT&T spun it off and merged it with Discovery, Inc. in 2022 to form Warner Bros. Discovery, further distancing the legacy from the original Time Warner identity.

Business model

Media Conglomerate

Target market

Enterprise

What they offer

  • HBO

    Premium subscription cable and streaming network known for original programming

  • Turner Broadcasting (CNN, TNT, TBS, Cartoon Network)

    Portfolio of ad-supported cable networks reaching hundreds of millions of viewers

  • Warner Bros.

    Major film and television studio producing globally distributed content

  • Turner Ignite

    Advanced TV and data-driven advertising platform offering audience targeting across Turner's cable properties

  • Time Inc. Publications

    Magazine and digital publishing portfolio (divested 2018 prior to AT&T close)

Key features

Premium content ownership across cable, film, and digitalDual revenue model combining subscription and advertisingAdvanced TV advertising via Turner IgniteMassive owned-and-operated audience reachCross-platform audience data and targeting capabilities

Use cases

National brand advertising across premium cable networksTargeted audience advertising via Turner Ignite's data platformContent licensing and syndication for global distributorsSubscription-based premium content delivery to consumers

Customer segments

National and global brand advertisersMedia agencies and holding companiesCable and satellite distributorsStreaming platform partnersFilm and TV content licensees

Tech & specs

Technology stack

Turner Ignite audience targeting platformLinear and addressable TV ad delivery infrastructureDigital video ad servingSubscriber management systems (HBO)

Security & compliance

GDPRCCPA

Deployment

CloudOn-premise

API

No

Corporate history
  1. 1990 · Founded
  2. 2001Acquired by AOL
  3. 2018Acquired by AT&T Inc.$85.4B
  4. 2018Became WarnerMedia
  5. 2026Acquired by Paramount Skydance
    Still operating as part of Paramount Skydance
  6. Year unknown
Connection details
See integrations with Time Warner (9) See acquisitions by Time Warner (2)

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