Gray Media will broadcast dozens of Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) sporting events on its local television stations under a new distribution agreement with the conference and Triple B Media, expanding free access to college athletics across several Southern television markets.
The arrangement will bring SWAC football, basketball, soccer and other men’s and women’s sporting events to broadcast television, complementing the recently announced SWAC TV free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channel.
Gray Media said its television stations in markets with SWAC member institutions will carry selected games, including stations in Huntsville and Montgomery, Alabama, and Jackson, Mississippi.
Participating stations include WAFF (Channel 48, NBC) and WAAY (Channel 31 ABC) in Huntsville; NBC affiliate WSFA (Channel 12), WCOV (Channel 20, Fox) and WIYC (Channel 48) in Montgomery; and NBC affiliate WLBT (Channel 3) in Jackson.
The companies did not announce a complete broadcast schedule or specify how many games each station will carry. Viewers will be directed to local television listings for individual matchups. Financial terms of the partnership were not disclosed.
The agreement expands distribution for athletic programming from the SWAC’s 12 member institutions, which compete across 18 conference-sponsored sports.
“This collaboration shows Gray’s continued focus on free local sports for local viewers,” Joshua Pila, Vice President of Content Acquisition at Gray Media, said in a statement. “We appreciate the forward thinking of both SWAC and Triple B to reach fans everywhere.”
The arrangement will allow viewers in participating markets to watch selected SWAC games through traditional over-the-air television without requiring a cable subscription or paid streaming service. The broadcast coverage will operate alongside SWAC TV, which was recently announced as a FAST channel offering conference-related athletic programming.
The combination of streaming and local broadcast distribution is intended to increase the availability of SWAC sporting events, particularly in communities served by the conference’s member institutions.
“We remain committed to making SWAC athletic events accessible to our fans through a variety of viewing options,” SWAC Commissioner Dr. Charles McClelland said. “We appreciate the continued efforts of our media partners to support the visibility of our member institutions and student-athletes.”
Triple B Media is a partner in the distribution arrangement, with Gray Media holding a minority ownership interest in the company.
“Triple B is excited to work with both SWAC and Gray Media to bring collegiate athletics to the broadest audience,” Anthony Bailey, Chief Executive Officer of Triple B Media, said in a statement.
The agreement is the latest example of Gray Media expanding local sports programming across its broadcast station portfolio, using free over-the-air distribution to reach viewers in markets with strong connections to participating teams. Last month, the broadcaster announced a deal with streaming platform DAZN to bring more than a dozen Cleveland Cavaliers basketball games to its local TV stations.
