The Hawks are giving local fans another way to watch their games, and those who already pay for Amazon Prime won’t need another subscription.
The team announced Tuesday that its local broadcasts will stream exclusively on Prime Video for in-market subscribers at no additional cost. This makes the Hawks the first NBA team to reach that type of local streaming agreement.
The deal covers games that aren’t exclusive to national broadcasters. It also comes a day before Atlanta opens the regular season against the Magic, giving fans an answer to a question that lingered after FanDuel Sports Network announced it was shutting down.
As Jackson Caudell of Hawks On SI details, the team had already arranged to televise games on Atlanta News First stations and Peachtree TV. Those broadcasts will continue, with Prime Video providing the streaming option.
In other words, fans won’t need Amazon to watch the local television broadcasts. But those who prefer streaming can use their existing Prime membership, provided they’re within the Hawks’ television territory.
That territory covers Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi and South Carolina. Games will be accessible through the Prime Video app and on the web.
“We are committed to putting our fans first and maximizing accessibility throughout the state of Georgia and the Southeast,” Hawks executive Andrew Saltzman said in the announcement.
Longtime play-by-play voice Bob Rathbun and analyst Dominique Wilkins will return for the local broadcasts, giving fans some familiarity amid the distribution changes.
The Hawks enter the season with a returning core led by Jalen Johnson, along with offseason additions Luguentz Dort, Aaron Wiggins and rookie Kingston Flemings. So there’s plenty of interest in what that group can accomplish.
For fans with Prime, following along just got easier without adding another monthly bill.
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