The Atlanta Hawks have a new broadcast home — and for the first time in decades, every game that doesn’t air nationally will be free over the air for fans across the state.
Atlanta News First (WANF) and its parent company Gray Media announced a landmark partnership with the Hawks on Thursday that brings all non-nationally televised games during the 2026-27 NBA season to homes throughout north Georgia. The deal, which WANF GM Erik Schrader called “the most accessible broadcast television commitment for Hawks basketball,” extends to the Peachtree Sports Network and to Gray stations in Albany (WALB), Augusta (WRDW), Columbus (WTVM), Macon (WPGA) and Savannah (WTOC), putting Hawks games in front of viewers from the mountains to the coast.
To mark the announcement, WANF temporarily changed its on-air name to “Atlanta Hawks First” across regularly scheduled broadcast news programs on Thursday.
What fans get
Atlanta-market viewers can watch Hawks games on WANF’s free over-the-air signal, plus WANF’s carriage on Xfinity, Spectrum, DirecTV and DISH Network, and on the streaming services YouTube TV, DirecTV Stream and Fubo. Gray will also broadcast three preseason games plus select national games during the 2026-27 season.
“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.”
For the Hawks, the move is a return to free local TV that has been two decades in the making. The franchise aired on WPCH (then WTCG/WTBS) from 1972-1994 and on WANF (then WGNX/WGCL) from 1986-1993 before shifting to cable. The recent collaboration began during the 2023-24 season with 10- and 11-game simulcast packages, expanding to 13 games on ANF and Peachtree TV last season.
“We are thrilled to expand our partnership with WANF and Peachtree Sports Network,” 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.”
The full 2026-27 broadcast schedule — including tip-off times and game-by-game distribution — will be announced at a later date. More information is available at AtlantaNewsFirst.com/Hawks and Hawks.com.
Source: Atlanta News First / WANF, “Atlanta News First becomes official home of Atlanta Hawks,” July 16, 2026.
