This purchase resulted in the ownership of the Grand Ole Opry and associated businesses, including the company's flagship resort property, then known as Opryland Hotel.

Most of its media and entertainment ventures were closed or divested over time as the company was refocused into a hospitality-based business by the early-2000s, constructing and operating massive resort properties catering to the high-end corporate convention market.

In 2012, Gaylord Entertainment sold the Gaylord Hotels brand, as well as operations of its existing resorts, to Marriott International and converted the company's corporate structure into a real estate investment trust, retaining ownership of the properties themselves, and taking the Ryman Hospitality name as a result of the transaction.

[2] In 1977, it bought out New Orleans TV station and ABC affiliate WVUE from Columbia Pictures, which was about to exit the broadcasting industry at that time.

[2] The Opry and its associated businesses (including Opryland USA, Opryland Hotel, The Nashville Network, Ryman Auditorium, WSM & WSM-FM) were caught in the middle of the hostile takeover of their owner, NLT Corporation, by American General Insurance, and were put up for sale by the new parent shortly after the takeover was complete.

[2][6] The holding company for the acquisitions was renamed from WSM, Inc. to Opryland USA, Inc. and continued under existing management.

[2] Opryland USA started the Gaylord Syndicom division on July 15, 1984, to develop syndicated TV programs.

However, to meet the deadline, Gaylord overpaid for a California cable television company and, in doing so, incurred a heavy debt load.

Also during the public offering period, the company laid out expansion plans for the Opryland hotel and theme park plus a Ryman Auditorium renovation.

[2] A controlling stake in Country Music Television was purchased in January 1991 with Group W Satellite Communications buying the remaining stock.

Gaylord Entertainment began moving into the niche of Christian-oriented businesses with the May 1996 assumption of management of Z Music Television,[15] along with an option to buy 95% of the cable channel.

[21] Also, on December 31, 1997, the Opryland USA theme park was closed for redevelopment into a shopping and entertainment district called Opry Mills.

MusicCountry would take a broader view of country, localizing it to include Americana, folk, rock, and roots music programming.

In the Australia, Brazil, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Asia-Pacific region areas, CMT channels would rebrand to MusicCountry by year's end.

[23][25] In 1997, in partnership with the newly formed Nashville Predators (NHL) hockey team (which would begin play in 1998, and of which Gaylord Entertainment owned a 20% share), the company purchased the naming rights to Nashville's new downtown arena, which became known as the Gaylord Entertainment Center.

[28] Wildhorse Saloon, a country music dance club and restaurant, was opened in 1994 in downtown Nashville.

[22] Gaylord Films was started with the hiring of producer Hunt Lowry as president in May 2000 as he ended his first look deal at Walt Disney Studios.

[31] In October 2000, Pandora Pictures was slated to move to Los Angeles with Lowry taking over as the company president, with a mostly new executive team.

London left as CEO, along with internet division head Brian Payne and creative content group president Tim DuBois.

With the exception of the Grand Ole Opry, Ryman Auditorium, General Jackson Showboat, Wildhorse Saloon, and WSM radio in Nashville, all the non-hotel businesses were abandoned or sold.

[33] Gaylord Entertainment announced construction on two Opryland Hotels in late 1998 in Osceola County, Florida (near Orlando) and in Grapevine, Texas, slated to open in 2002 and 2003, respectively.

[7][38] In March 2003, Gaylord sold its two Nashville FM radio stations (WSM-FM 95.5 and WWTN 99.7) to Cumulus Media.

[47] In April 2007, Gaylord had its subsidiary sell its Hawaiian holdings, while retaining shares in two hotels, to Interval Acquisition Corp., a unit of IAC/InterActiveCorp.

[51] The Aston Waikiki Beach Hotel (19.9 percent ownership stake)[48] was sold in 2014 to Inland American Lodging Group.

[52] TRT Holdings, owned by the Texas billionaire Robert Rowling, bought 14 percent of Gaylord stock in early 2008.

[62] Marriott opened in April 2015 the AC Hotel Washington, D.C., with ownership by Ryman Properties in National Harbor, Maryland.

As of 2024, the chain has six locations: two in Nashville, and one each in Tishomingo, Oklahoma, Gatlinburg, Tennessee, Orlando, Florida, and Paradise, Nevada (on the Las Vegas Strip).

Also in 2023, Ryman Hospitality purchased the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa from Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust.

Oklahoma Publishing acquired WSM as part of its purchase of the Grand Ole Opry and associated businesses in 1983.

The broadcasting subsidiary originated as the WKY Radiophone Company, named after its Oklahoma City flagship stations.