ATLANTA—In another notable example of broadcast station groups expanding their sports programming, Gray Television has announced that its new sports broadcast channel, Peachtree Sports Network, will launch Sunday, October 1st on WPCH 17.2. The channel will focus on live, local sports programming all year long and will feature teams from multiple sports across the state.
The broadcast network will initially launch in Atlanta but will soon air on Gray-owned over-the-air channels in Albany, Augusta, Columbus, Macon, and Savannah in the coming months.
“As a lifelong sports fan, I know firsthand I became a fan by watching my local teams play on broadcast television,” said WANF and WPCH vice president and general manager Erik Schrader. “While existing fans may follow their teams behind paywalls, there’s no question that new sports fans are born watching broadcast stations. Georgia has so many tremendous teams that simply need an audience, and so many sports fans that just need a station where they can watch live events. We’re proud and eager to be at the very beginning of what will become a legacy sports tradition across our state.”
Peachtree Sports Network will broadcast live games from the College Park Skyhawks of the NBA G-League, high school football through Score Atlanta, hockey from the Atlanta Gladiators and the Savannah Ghost Pirates of the ECHL, the Georgia Swarm of the National Lacrosse League, and ultimate disc from the Atlanta Hustle of the American Ultimate Disc League, the company said.
The first live sporting event will be Friday, October 6th from Score Atlanta, where Cass takes on Cartersville at 8pm. “Peachtree Sports Network gives us the opportunity to bring all sports together on one television platform,” Score Atlanta President I.J. Rosenberg said. “This is an incredible opportunity to give athletes more exposure, and develop more programming focused on high school sports.”
“We are thrilled to be a part of the new Peachtree Sports Network and have the College Park Skyhawks broadcast throughout the State of Georgia”, said Andrew Saltzman, chief revenue officer for the team. “The G-League has continued to grow and now more fans will be exposed to the excitement of Skyhawks basketball.”
“We are excited about the opportunity to partner with Peachtree TV once again,” said Georgia Swarm co- owner and president Andy Arlotta. “This partnership not only benefits our organization, but also our corporate partners, stakeholders, the National Lacrosse League, and most importantly, our growing fanbase in metro Atlanta.”
“We are enthused to join with Peachtree Sports Network for both of our teams, Atlanta Gladiators and Savannah Ghost Pirates,” said Zawyer Sports president, Bob Ohrablo. “The Gladiators popularity continues to grow with a 22% increase in attendance last season, a new four-year lease with the Gas South Arena and new NHL partner with the Nashville Predators. The Savannah Ghost Pirates stormed into the ECHL last season, setting the record for season tickets in ECHL history and selling out 30 of 33 home games. The affiliate of the Stanley Cup Champions, the Vegas Golden Knights, are preparing for their second season at the Enmarket Arena.”
“The Atlanta Hustle is proud to represent our city and our sport on the Peachtree Sports Network. Ultimate disc is a fresh and exciting sports experience that is emerging as a local favorite for all,” said John Boezi, General Manager of the Atlanta Hustle. “With PSN's support, we're thrilled for the opportunity for a broader audience to discover the Atlanta Hustle next summer.”
When the Peachtree Sports Network debuts Sunday, October 1st in Atlanta, it will be available over the air on channel 17.2 and on Comcast and Spectrum cable.
