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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 offered advertisers unparalleled access to premium, brand-safe content environments across iconic cable networks, digital platforms, and film properties, backed by deep audience data and cross-platform reach.

Last updated Jul 22, 2026 by the ATDb Editorial Team

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 and premium advertising inventory owner across cable, digital, and film properties

Time Warner was one of the world's largest media and entertainment conglomerates, formed through the 1990 merger of Time Inc. and Warner Communications and further expanded by the ill-fated AOL merger in 2001. At its peak, the company's portfolio encompassed HBO, CNN, Warner Bros. Entertainment, Turner Broadcasting System, DC Comics, and a vast array of cable networks and publishing properties. Its scale and content depth made it a dominant force in television, film, news, and digital media, with global reach across dozens of markets. Within the advertising ecosystem, Time Warner was a major seller of premium video and display inventory across its cable networks and digital properties. Turner Broadcasting's ad-supported networks — including TBS, TNT, CNN, Cartoon Network, and Adult Swim — generated billions in annual advertising revenue. The company invested heavily in data-driven advertising capabilities, launching Turner Ignite as a platform to offer advertisers audience targeting and cross-platform measurement across its properties, positioning itself as a premium alternative to digital-first platforms. On June 14, 2018, AT&T completed its $85.4 billion acquisition of Time Warner following an extended regulatory battle with the U.S. Department of Justice. AT&T promptly rebranded the combined media assets as WarnerMedia, retiring the Time Warner name entirely. WarnerMedia was subsequently spun off and merged with Discovery, Inc. in 2022 to form Warner Bros. Discovery, further distancing the legacy from the original Time Warner brand. The Time Warner name now exists only as a historical artifact, though its content assets and advertising infrastructure live on within Warner Bros. Discovery.

Business model

Media Conglomerate

Target market

Enterprise

What they offer

  • Turner Ignite

    Data-driven advertising platform enabling audience targeting and cross-screen campaign delivery across Turner's cable and digital properties

  • HBO Ad Sales

    Premium advertising inventory across HBO's digital and on-demand platforms

  • CNN Digital

    Digital advertising solutions across CNN's web, mobile, and video properties

  • Turner AudienceNow

    Audience-based buying solution allowing advertisers to target specific consumer segments across Turner networks

  • Warner Bros. Theatrical & Home Entertainment

    Co-branded and promotional advertising partnerships tied to major film releases

Key features

Premium brand-safe advertising environments across cable and digitalCross-platform audience targeting via Turner IgniteFirst-party data from HBO, CNN, and Turner digital propertiesProgrammatic and direct sales capabilities across owned-and-operated inventoryAdvanced TV and addressable advertising solutionsDeep content integration and custom sponsorship opportunities

Use cases

National brand advertising across premium cable television networksAudience-targeted digital video campaigns on CNN and Turner digital propertiesCustom content integrations and branded entertainment on HBO and Turner networksCross-screen campaign delivery spanning linear and digital inventoryCo-promotional advertising tied to major Warner Bros. theatrical releases

Customer segments

National brand advertisersMedia agencies and holding companiesDirect response advertisersEntertainment and studio co-promotional partnersPolitical and advocacy advertisers (CNN)

Tech & specs

Technology stack

Turner Ignite data platformProgrammatic advertising infrastructureFirst-party audience data managementDynamic ad insertion for digital videoCross-platform measurement and attribution tools

Security & compliance

GDPRCCPACOPPANAI Compliance

Deployment

CloudManaged Service

API

Limited

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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