Live Atlanta Sports Network On The Way
Local live sports in Atlanta is getting a big boost with a new local network launching next week.
Atlanta based Gray Television, which owns WANF-TV 46 (Atlanta News First) and WPCH-TV 17 (Peachtree TV) have announced the launch of Peachtree Sports Network, a broadcast digital channel that
will bring Georgia based local sports to homes across the state, and it will originate from Atlanta, Ga.
PSN will air live games from the Atlanta Hawks’ G-League team, College Park Skyhawks. High school football games that currently air on WPCH on Friday nights will soon be seen on PSN starting October 6, with the Cass High School vs. Cartersville game. Score Atlanta will continue to produce the live high school games. Also expected to be featured on PSN are Atlanta Gladiators hockey, Savannah Ghost Pirates games, National Lacross League’s Georgia Swarm and the American Ultimate Disc League’s Atlanta Hustle.
WPCH’s affiliation with PSN will further boost WPCH’s sports profile, since it also carries the CW network on its main channel. That network airs college football games, golf tournaments and soon, NASCAR racing.
“As a lifelong sports fan, I know firsthand I became a fan by watching my local teams play on broadcast televison,” said Erik Schrader, VP and general manager of WANF and WPCH. “While existing fans may follow their teams behind paywalls, there’s no question that new sports fans are born watching broadcast stations. We’re proud and eager to be at the very begining of what will become a legacy sports tradition across our state.”
“Peachtree Sports Network gives us the opportunty to bring all sports together on one television platform,” said Score Atlanta President I.J. Rosenberg. “This is an incredble opportunity to give athletes more exposure, and develop more programing focused on high school sports.”
Adds Andrew Saltzman, chief revenue officer for the Skyhawks, “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.”
PSN will launch October 1st on WPCH’s 17.2, and will also be available on Comcast and Spectrum. There are plans to add the diginet in the future to Gray owned stations in Macon, Albany, Augusta, Columbus and Savannah.
Bally’s Jbara Heads to Warner Bros. Discovery
Popular Atlanta sports journalist Lauren Jbara announced she is joining Warner Brothers Discovery’s sports operations after two years at Bally Sport South.
Jbara will be sideline reporting and anchoring at WBD’s TNT and NBA TV, covering national NBA basketball games. At Bally Sports South, she anchored, reported and on a couple of occasions, play called Atlanta Hawks games. She also started sideline reporting for the Atlanta Braves eariler this season. No word on whether she will continue covering the Braves for Bally now that she works for WBD.
“Beyond excited to be joining the WBD Sports family this NBA season!,” said Jbara on her Instagram account this morning. “You can find me in studio and on the sidelines for @nbatv and @nbaontnt! Looking forward to covering all of the teams and stories around the league. Couldn’t be more grateful for this opportunity to grow, learn and be surrounded by some incredible people. Cheers to the next chapter!!”
In addition to the Braves and Hawks, the Michigan University graduate also covered Atlantic Coast Conference college football games and worked in the Detroit Lion’s media department.
Jbara’s first appearnce on WBD sports networks will be media day for the Sacramento Kings.
Meet the New Hawks Sideline Reporter
As former Hawks reporter Jbara exits, Bally announced they have a new face coming to the sidelines.
Tabatha Turner, has been named the new sideline reporter for the Hawks. She was previously a reporter and analyst for the Atlanta Dream telecasts since 2017.
Turner, a Georgia Tech grad who was formerly an engineer, also played college basketball for the school. Before she reported for the Dream and now the Hawks, she sideline reported for the Hawks’ G-League Skyhawks team for WPCH-TV. She was an analyst for Georgia Tech and Kennesaw State college basketball teams for ESPN, and was an analyst for Georgia Tech’s women’s baskeball games for WREK FM.
“Atlanta has been home to me for over a decase, from playing my college ball at Georgia Tech, to rooting my life here and embracing the CULTURE of this city,” said Turner in a statement. “I couldn’t be more excited to tell the stories of the Atlanta Hawks organization and highlight these incredbly talented athletes on and off the court.”
