The Atlanta Hawks announced Thursday that a new broadcast partnership with Gray Media will carry every regular-season contest that is not picked up by a national network on the company’s Atlanta station WANF and on the regional Peachtree Sports Network for the 2026-27 NBA season. The agreement makes Gray Media the official local television home for the Hawks, ensuring that fans can watch non-national games without a cable subscription.
"It was about reach and engagement, and probably a third word that I would put in there is accessibility," said Andrew Saltzman, the Hawks’ president of business enterprise and chief commercial officer. Saltzman’s comments underscore the franchise’s intent to broaden its audience by leveraging free-to-air television, a move that aligns with the team’s broader community-first philosophy.
Delivering games on free-to-air channels directly addresses the growing trend of cord-cutting in the Atlanta market. By removing the barrier of a cable or satellite bill, the Hawks can attract casual viewers who might otherwise miss games that fall outside the national schedule. The increased accessibility should boost local ratings, which in turn can drive higher advertising revenue for both the team and Gray Media.
The partnership fits within a longer-term media strategy that emphasizes regional visibility over national exposure. Since relocating to Atlanta, the franchise has invested in a suite of local initiatives, from radio simulcasts to a dedicated streaming platform and targeted social-media campaigns. Consolidating broadcast rights under a single local partner simplifies the fan experience and reinforces the Hawks’ brand presence throughout Georgia and the surrounding Southeast region.
The first game under the Gray Media agreement is slated for the opening night of the 2026-27 season in early October. Fans should tune to WANF or the Peachtree Sports Network for any Hawks matchup that does not appear on ESPN, TNT or ABC. Weekly schedule updates will be posted on the team’s official website, and viewership metrics will become a key performance indicator for both parties as the season progresses.
If the partnership delivers on Saltzman’s promise of greater reach and engagement, it could serve as a template for other mid-market NBA clubs seeking to strengthen their local broadcast footprint while keeping the game accessible to the widest possible audience.
