ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — The Atlanta Hawks have a new broadcast home.
Atlanta News First (ANF) and its parent company Gray Media announced Thursday a landmark broadcast partnership with the Hawks that will bring all non-nationally televised games during the 2026-27 NBA to homes throughout north Georgia.
The agreement makes ANF the official broadcast partner of the franchise and represents the most accessible broadcast television commitment for Hawks basketball with each available game being broadcast for free over the air.
Fans across the Atlanta market can watch Hawks games on WANF’s free over-the-air signal, as well as through WANF’s carriage on major pay-TV systems including Xfinity, Spectrum, DirecTV, and DISH Network. WANF is also available on YouTube TV, DirecTV Stream, and Fubo.
“This partnership is a reflection of what Gray Media does best — serving our communities with the content they care about most,” said Hilton H. Howell, Chairman and CEO of Gray Media. “Atlanta is one of the premier sports cities in the country, and we are proud to give Hawks fans across Georgia the most accessible, free viewing experience possible. This is a significant moment for our stations and for the fans we serve.”
The Atlanta Hawks announced a broadcast partnership with Gray Media and Atlanta News First.(WANF)
The games will also air across the state on Peachtree Sports Network. Gray Media stations in Albany (WALB), Augusta (WRDW), Columbus (WTVM), Macon (WPGA), and Savannah (WTOC) will carry games on their local stations, too.
To celebrate the occasion, Atlanta News First temporarily changed its name to “Atlanta Hawks First” for July 16 during regularly scheduled broadcast news programs.
The Hawks full-time return to free, local over-the-air broadcasts is a homecoming for the franchise, which originally aired on WPCH (previously WTCG/WTBS) from 1972-1994 and WANF (previously WGNX/WGCL) from 1986-1993.
During the 2023-24 season, the Atlanta Hawks, ANF and Peachtree Sports Network began their recent collaboration, simulcasting special 10- and 11-game packages each season, providing a free viewing option for millions of fans in the region. During the 2025-26 season, a 13-game package aired on ANF and Peachtree TV.
“WANF has always been committed to Atlanta, and this partnership takes that commitment to a new level,” said Erik Schrader, general manager of WANF and WPCH. “A huge advantage of being independent is we can carry even more Hawks games than we’ve been able to do previously, as we continue to bring Atlanta-centric programming to our Atlanta viewers. We can’t wait to tip off the 2026–27 season.”
In addition to the non-nationally televised regular season games, Gray will broadcast three preseason games and select national games during the 2026-27 season. The full broadcast schedule, including tip-off times and game-by-game details, will be announced at a later date. For more information, visit AtlantaNewsFirst.com/Hawks and Hawks.com .
“We are thrilled to expand our partnership with WANF and Peachtree Sports Network, giving Hawks fans across Georgia even greater access to their favorite team this upcoming season,” said Andrew Saltzman, president of business enterprise and chief commercial officer of the Atlanta Hawks and State Farm Arena. “This agreement reflects our shared commitment to putting our fans first and delivering an outstanding fan experience for as many fans as possible.”
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