WPCH, WANF To Show 10 Atlanta Hawks Games

After almost 30 years away, the Atlanta Hawks are returning to Gray Television’s Peachtree TV (WPCH) in Atlanta. Beginning with the Hawks home game against Indiana on Friday, Jan. 12, Peachtree TV will broadcast every Friday night Hawks game for the remainder of the 2023-24 NBA season with the exception of the team’s March 8 game at Memphis. In lieu of that game, Peachtree TV will broadcast the match up versus New Orleans on March 10.

The Hawks return to broadcast is a homecoming for the franchise, which originally aired on WPCH (previously WTCG/WTBS) from 1972 to 1994 and WANF (previously WGNX/WGCL) from 1986 to 1993. To tip off the package, the first two Friday night games (Jan. 12 vs. Indiana and Jan. 19 at Miami) will be broadcast live on Gray TV’s CBS affiliate WANF (Atlanta News First) and Peachtree TV (WPCH).

“This is a tremendous opportunity to give Hawks fans a new, free way to watch our games this season,” said Andrew Saltzman, Hawks & State Farm Arena EVP/chief revenue officer. “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 agreement will bring live games to the Hawks’ huge fan base in the Atlanta market through Peachtree TV’s free, over-the-air broadcasts along with its carriage on all major cable and satellite pay-tv systems including Xfinity, Spectrum, DirecTV and Dish Network. In addition, using the Gray-owned Peachtree Sports Network, Gray will simulcast these games on its television stations in Albany, Augusta, Columbus, Macon and Savannah in Georgia and in Birmingham, Dothan, Huntsville and Montgomery in Alabama.

“We are thrilled to bring the Hawks back to broadcast on Peachtree TV this season,” said Erik Schrader, WANF-WPCH VP-GM. “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.”

The games were made available for local over-the-air distribution as part of the NBA’s agreement with Diamond Sports Group, the owner of Bally Sports Southeast. 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 this 10-game package of games. On-air talent from Peachtree TV and WANF, including Sports Director Baillie Burmaster, will also be featured on telecasts.

The Friday night slate of games includes home and road matchups, highlighted by marquee matchups against the Miami Heat (Jan. 19), Dallas Mavericks (Jan. 26), Phoenix Suns (Feb. 2) and Philadelphia 76ers (Feb. 9). Peachtree TV will also broadcast the Hawks-Pelicans game on Sunday, March 10.