Gray Officially Unveils Two NBA OTA Partnerships

Following a brief voiding of the deal to resolve contractual matters between the bankrupt Bally Sports parent Diamond Sports Group and the National Basketball Association franchise serving Arizona, the Phoenix Suns and the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury in 2023 landed a broadcast rights agreement with Gray Television that saw a slate of each team’s home games end up on the company’s KTVK-3, “Arizona’s Family,” and sister KPHE-44, now known as “Arizona’s Family Sports.”

As the final month of the year commenced, talk of a similar deal in the Crescent City emerged. This followed a late September revelation that Gray had unveiled a “Peachtree Sports Network” with plans to have it air in six Georgia markets including Atlanta.

Now, it’s official: Gray Television now has a trio of NBA teams in its fast-growing sports stable.

Thanks to a deal announced on December 30, ten Atlanta Hawks games will air on “Peachtree TV” — WPCH-17 in Atlanta — “after almost 30 years away.” Back then, Hawks games aired on WGCL-46, owned by Tribune Co., and a dominant unaffiliated station that is today Gray-owned CBS affiliate WANF. Earlier, the Hawks aired on Channel 17 when it was WTBS — the pioneering “Superstation” owned by Ted Turner.

Thus, the Hawks deal is a monumental turn-back-the-clock moment for professional sports rights as Friday night telecasts for the remainder of the 2023-2024 NBA season — except the March 8 match-up in Memphis — will air on Peachtree TV. In lieu of the Grizzlies game, a Sunday, March 10 match-up featuring the New Orleans Pelicans will air.

Perhaps that’s fitting, as Gray announced on Monday that it now also has a sports right deal in place with that team, bring 10 games — home and away — to viewers via its WVUE-8 in New Orleans and its Bounce digital multicast offering. For those within the Pelicans’ footprint who cannot get WVUE, Gray says it will seek distribution arrangements with television stations located in additional markets in Louisiana and Mississippi owned by other broadcasters.

For Peachtree Sports Networks, bringing it to stations in Birmingham, Dothan, Huntsville, and Montgomery, Ala., is now a priority.

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

In Atlanta, Hawks 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.

Peachtree TV has served as the official broadcast home for the Hawks G League affiliate, the College Park Skyhawks, since 2019.

In New Orleans, Pelicans telecasts on WVUE-8 and Bounce begin on January 12, with a matchup against the 2022-2023 NBA Champions, the Denver Nuggets. “We know people in this region are passionate about their sports. We are thrilled to partner with the Pelicans and make these games available for all fans,” said New Orleans resident and Pelicans fan Sandy Breland, who serves as Gray’s Chief Operating Officer.

Handling the Pelicans games are play-by-play announcer Joel Meyers, former NBA star and color analyst Antonio Daniels and sideline reporter Jennifer Hale.

The New Orleans Pelicans games listed below will air on Gray stations starting January 12, 2024: