Long before streaming wars, subscription apps, and endless platform hopping, watching sports in America used to be remarkably simple: turn on TBS and watch the Atlanta Braves.

For fans across Atlanta, it was even easier — just flip to Channel 17. Baseball was always there. And over time, thanks to the vision of Ted Turner, the Braves evolved from a regional team into a national phenomenon.

Turner, who died Wednesday at age 87, transformed not only sports broadcasting but also the relationship between television and fandom. At a time when most local teams were rarely televised outside their markets, Turner turned TBS into a “superstation,” bringing Braves baseball into homes across the country every single day.

Today’s sports landscape is fragmented across cable packages, streaming services, and exclusive digital deals. Watching one baseball team may require multiple subscriptions — from regional sports networks to platforms like Apple TV, Peacock, Netflix, or Prime Video. Turner’s approach was the opposite: make the games accessible, constant, and part of everyday American life.

Ironically, the Braves Turner helped popularize were not always winners. Between 1975 and 1990, the franchise struggled badly, posting losing seasons year after year. Yet Turner never stopped promoting the team, even during difficult stretches.

His passion occasionally became legendary. In one infamous moment during a 16-game losing streak, Turner attempted to manage the team himself before Major League Baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn quickly intervened. Turner jokingly responded that the rule preventing owners from managing teams “must have been created yesterday.”

Eventually, the Braves transformed into a dynasty under leaders like Bobby Cox and John Schuerholz. By the 1990s, stars such as Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, and John Smoltz helped turn the franchise into one of baseball’s defining powers.

But Turner’s greatest achievement may have been cultural. He helped create what fans came to call “Braves Country,” expanding the team’s reach throughout the South and far beyond. Even viewers on the West Coast or in the Midwest became familiar with Braves players simply because the games were always on television.

Turner’s influence stretched well beyond baseball. Through TBS, CNN, and his broader media empire, he reshaped television itself — helping pioneer the 24-hour news cycle and the national sports broadcasting model later adopted throughout the industry.

The modern sports media world may now feel overcrowded and complicated, but much of it traces back to Turner’s groundbreaking ideas. For generations of fans, though, his legacy is simpler: afternoons spent watching Braves baseball, hearing familiar voices on TBS, and feeling connected to a team that became part of America’s shared sports culture.