Hawks Free TV Return
Atlanta Hawks Secure Georgia-Wide Broadcast Deal with Gray Media for Free Over-the-Air Games
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Key Points
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The deal lowers annual rights fees from the previous Main Street agreement (around $30 million annually) to about $8-10 million per year on over-the-air TV, while Gray Media’s robust sales team will drive local and national ad revenue and the Hawks’ global partnership unit will monetize other inventory.
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The Hawks retain an out clause to join the NBA’s aggregated streaming hub when it launches (likely for the 2027-28 season), though team executives say they are signing a multiyear deal regardless due to strong alignment with Gray.
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WANF (Atlanta News First) will be the flagship in-market station, and the partnership includes a temporary rebranding of WANF as 'Atlanta Hawks First' for regular news blocks, a benefit made possible by WANF’s independent status to carry more Hawks games.
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Gray’s Peachtree Sports Network will carry Hawks games on statewide stations WALB (Albany), WRDW (Augusta), WTVM (Columbus), WPGA (Macon), and WTOC (Savannah), expanding the team’s reach beyond Atlanta.
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The slate will include three preseason games and select national games, with the full game-by-game schedule and tip times to be announced later.
The Atlanta Hawks are returning to free, over-the-air TV in a big way. The team announced a landmark broadcast deal with Gray Media, putting every non-nationally televised regular season game on WANF and the Peachtree Sports Network across Georgia starting with the 2026-27 NBA season, according to Atlanta News First.
The deal covers Gray stations in five Georgia markets — Albany, Augusta, Columbus, Macon, and Savannah — making Hawks games freely available to millions of fans who don't pay for cable or streaming, Editor & Publisher reported.
Rights Fees Drop From $30M to Under $10M
The financial shift is dramatic. The Hawks previously paid around $30 million per year under their deal with Main Street Sports Group. Under the new Gray Media agreement, annual rights fees fall to roughly $8 to $10 million, according to VYRE Business News Global.
The Hawks won't just save money — they'll also earn it back differently. Gray Media's sales team will sell local and national ad time. The Hawks' own global partnerships unit will handle other inventory. The team also expects over-the-air broadcasts to boost ticket sales and merchandise revenue by reaching more fans directly.
WANF Temporarily Becomes 'Atlanta Hawks First'
WANF, the Atlanta News First station, will serve as the flagship in-market channel. Because WANF operates as an independent station — not tied to a major network — it can carry more games than a typical affiliate, Sports Video Group reported.
As part of the deal, WANF will temporarily rebrand as 'Atlanta Hawks First' during regular news blocks on game days. It's a creative marketing perk that no network-affiliated station could easily pull off. The full game-by-game schedule and tip-off times have not yet been announced.
Georgia-Wide Reach Through Peachtree Sports Network
Fans outside Atlanta will get access too. Gray's Peachtree Sports Network will carry games on WALB in Albany, WRDW in Augusta, WTVM in Columbus, WPGA in Macon, and WTOC in Savannah, according to WRDW.
The slate will also include three preseason games plus select nationally broadcast games. Gray Media executives called the deal a community-first move, saying it gives Georgia fans a free way to follow their team without a cable subscription or streaming login.
Hawks Keep an Exit Ramp for the NBA's Streaming Hub
The Hawks signed a multiyear deal but left themselves a way out. The team negotiated an out clause that lets them join the NBA's planned streaming hub when it launches, likely in the 2027-28 season, Editor & Publisher reported.
Team executives say they don't expect to use it. They called their alignment with Gray strong enough to stick with the deal long-term. But the clause gives the Hawks flexibility as the NBA's national media strategy continues to take shape.
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