The Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association are returning to broadcast for 10 games this season with Atlanta-based Gray Television after 30 years on cable.
Gray acquired rights to the games in a deal with Diamond Sports Group, the bankrupt owner of Bally Sports Southeast and other regional sports networks.
Gray’s WPCH — known on-air as Peachtree TV — will air nine of the Hawks’ remaining Friday-night games, starting with the January 12 contest against the Indiana Pacers.
The game against the Pacers, as well as the January 19 game against the Miami Heat, also will be simulcast on WANF-TV, the CBS affiliate in Atlanta owned by Gray.
Peachtree TV’s 10th game in the package will air March 8, when the Hawks fly to Memphis to take on the Grizzlies.
The deal is the latest to bring sports from cable, which is losing subscribers, to broadcast, which offers teams greater reach.
”This is a tremendous opportunity to give Hawks fans a new, free way to watch our games this season,“ Atlanta Hawks & State Farm Arena executive VP and chief revenue officer Andrew Saltzman said. “We are thankful to Peachtree TV and Gray TV for making this a reality and look forward to returning the Hawks to our historic local partner for our Friday games.”
The Peachtree games will also air on Gray stations in Albany, Augusta, Columbus, Macon and Savannah, Georgia, and Birmingham, Dothan, Huntsville and Montgomery, Alabama.
“We are thrilled to bring the Hawks back to broadcast on Peachtree TV this season,” said WANF/WPCH VP and general manager Erik Schrader. “Sports on broadcast television make the games available to everyone. Not only do longtime fans get their favorite team for free, but it’s the best opportunity to grow new fans.”
Gray noted that in addition to over-the-air, Peachtree TV is carried by major cable and satellite distributors.
Peachtree TV will utilize the Bally Sports Southeast production team and the on-air crew of Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins, play-by-play announcer Bob Rathbun and courtside reporter Tabitha Turner for the 10 games it will air. On-air talent from Peachtree TV and WANF, including sports director Baillie Burmaster, will also be featured on telecasts.
The Hawks games previously appeared on what is now WPCH (then known as WTCG and later as the nationally distributed SuperStation WTBS) from 1972 to 1994 and on WANF (then known as WGNX and later WGCL) from 1986 to 1993.
Peachtree TV has been airing games of the Hawks’ G League team, the College Park Skyhawks, since 2019.
