Time-Life Television was the television production and distribution arm of Time Inc. With CBS led a partnership to export their shows overseas. Time-Life Television also owned several TV stations in the United States.
Time-Life was also a financial backer for commercial TV broadcasting outside the United States, mostly in Middle and South America. With a joint venture between CBS and Goar Mestre they backed PROARTEL in Argentina, PROVENTEL in Venezuela (now VTV) and Panamericana Televisión in Peru. In Brazil, they backed Rede Globo, owned by the Marinho family.
Time-Life's investments in the United States, Middle and South America in the 1950s and 1960s were largely unsuccessful, due to the stations' owners unhappy with their agreements. The only exception was TV Globo in Brazil, owned by the Marinho family, which was financially backed by Time-Life until 1970.
By 1970, Time decided to sell its television stations and to concentrate in cable development. Eventually Time-Life joined Sterling Manhattan Cable, owned by Charles Dolan and launched Home Box Office, which eventually became the largest premium television service in the United States. Due to an early financial loss, Dolan eventually sold his stake HBO to Time Inc. Time merged with Warner Communications, Inc. in 1989, as HBO became part of Time Warner.