Fox Television Stations is partnering with the E. W. Scripps Company’s Scripps Sports to bring Nashville Predators hockey games to free broadcast TV in the Atlanta market.
Most games from the Predators will air on a digital sub-channel of WAGA-TV (Channel 5, Fox) in Atlanta, replacing programming from Buzzr (Channel 5.3) when the games are live.
A handful of games will also be available on WAGA’s main broadcast signal, making them widely available to cable and satellite subscribers as well.
The agreement adds Atlanta to a growing regional broadcast network established by Scripps Sports and the Predators under a multi-year media rights deal. The network now reaches eight markets outside Nashville across Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky and Alabama.
“Atlanta has a proud hockey history, and Fox 5 is excited to bring NHL action back to viewers across our community,” Bill Schneider, the Senior Vice President and General Manager of WAGA, said in a statement on Wednesday.
The Predators and Scripps Sports are entering the first season of their agreement, which provides regional television coverage of 85 games, including four preseason and 81 regular-season contests.
WNPX (Channel 28) in Nashville serves as the flagship station for the regional network, which also includes stations in Memphis, Knoxville, Chattanooga, Jackson, Louisville, Lexington and Huntsville. At least four games will also be simulcast on Scripps-owned WTVF (Channel 5) in Nashville.
Predators telecasts will include 30-minute pregame and postgame shows. The broadcast team includes Willy Daunic, Chris Mason, Hal Gill, Lyndsay Rowley and Kara Hammer.
