Ted Turner Dead At 87 - Former WCW Owner Passes Away

Former WCW owner Ted Turner has died aged 87.

Various outlets, including the BBC and The New York Times, are reporting that Turner passed away on Wednesday 6 May 2026. He'll be remembered as a media mogul and astute businessman who pioneered 24-hour, around the clock news with CNN, but was known mainly as the man behind World Championship Wrestling by grappling fans.

Turner had adored wrestling for many years before making moves to purchase Jim Crockett Promotions in 1988. He'd rename that NWA territory WCW (an acronym of the World Championship Wrestling name which had been used for television beforehand), and eventually went nose to nose with the Vince McMahon-led WWF in the mid-1990s.

Indeed, Ted's decision to give Eric Bischoff 2 hours of primetime television every Monday night opposite Raw reshaped the industry. Nitro's advent created the 'Monday Night Wars' which were later won by McMahon when he purchased remnants of WCW for around $2.5m amidst fallout from a Turner merger involving AOL/Time Warner.

Away from wrestling and 24-hour news, Turner also popularised network TV stations like TNT and TBS (which are still strong brands today), and his TCM (Turner Classic Movies) channel was very well-received for years too.

This is a sad day for Ted's friends, family and fans. He'd lived a fairly quiet life largely away from the public eye for years, and suffered through various health problems. Sadly, at 87, he's now passed on. However, Turner leaves behind a media imprint and legacy like few others.

Rest In Peace.