Non-nationaly televised games will be on local broadcast TV
by Brian Allen
The Atlanta Dream, Atlanta’s WNBA professional team, and Gray Media, have announced a renewed full-season local TV broadcast agreement, which allows local Gray stations WANF (“Atlanta News First”), sister station WPCH (“Peachtree TV”), and Peachtree Sports Network local airing rights for non-nationally televised Dream games.
The agreement also brings the Dream to other Gray-owned TV stations across Georgia and the Southeast, according to the group and the Dream.
A new locally produced pregame show will be hosted by WANF Sports Director Baillie Burmaster. The show will feature scouting reports, player spotlights, and reports from the entire WNBA league.
The games themselves will feature play-by-play by Angel Gray (her sixth consecutive year), analyst Tabitha Turner (also her sixth year), and Autumn Johnson in her sixth year of sideline reporting for the Dream.
(Credit: WANF)
“Atlanta News First, Peachtree TV and Peachtree Sports Network are proud to be the home for Dream basketball, and we’re excited to expand the coverage with a new pre-game show that adds even more context and storytelling for fans,” said Erik Schrader, general manager of the local Atlanta Gray Media stations. “This partnership is about delivering high-quality local broadcasts, widening access across the Southeast, and showcasing the WNBA the way it deserves.”
No longer being a CBS affiliate gives WANF prime real estate to air Dream games. All of the games on the independent station and it’s sister, WPCH, will be on prime time, between 7 and 10 pm.
“We appreciate Gray Media’s support of the Atlanta Dream and our shared commitment to bring the WNBA to more fans in the Southeast,” said Morgan Shaw Parker, president and COO of the Atlanta Dream. “The Gray Media team has invested heavily in allowing us to grow the game and ensure our athletes are household names both in Atlanta and across the region.”
Attention on the Dream will be hightened this year now that WNBA superstar Angel Reese is now part of the team. Another WNBA superstar and Reese rival, Caitlin Clark and her team, the Indiana Fever, will play the Dream June 18 and WANF will carry that game.
WANF is scheduled to carry 21 regular season games this year including 10 home games. 5 will be on WPCH.
The national Dream games will be televised on ABC/ESPN, Amazon Prime Video, CBS Sports/Paramount+,ION, NBC/Peacock and USA Network. The leauge has not yet released a national broadcast schedule.
The new Dream season starts Sunday, May 10th, vs. the Minnesota Lynx. The first home game is Sunday, May 17, vs. the champs, Las Vegas Aces, at State Farm Arena.