ATLANTA -- The Atlanta Hawks and iHeartMedia are collaborating to broadcast eight Hawks games on local Spanish language station El PatrÓn 105.3 FM this season, it was announced today. The ground-breaking news marks the first time Hawks contests will be aired completely in Spanish by an Atlanta radio outlet.
“We are thrilled to enter a partnership with iHeartMedia and El PatrÓn 105.3,” said Hawks CEO Steve Koonin. “This collaboration presents exciting new opportunities for us to further engage the diverse, multicultural population of our great city. Broadcasting our games in Spanish is important for our organization as we continue to build bridges through basketball and connect with our community.”
“We are very excited to begin what we hope is a long term partnership with the Atlanta Hawks,” said iHeartMedia Market President Justin Schaflander. “The partnership will allow us to deliver unique local Spanish content to our listeners and creates a variety of community engagement and cause-related opportunities for us as we move into 2015 and beyond.”
El PatrÓn’s Jose Manuel Flores, who has over 21 years of Spanish play-by-play broadcast experience that includes time with the Chicago White Sox and the Atlanta Braves, will handle the play-by-play announcing duties. Gameday coverage will begin at tipoff and end at the conclusion of each game. Additional Hawks coverage will be broadcast throughout the week to give listeners insight on the club.
“Atlanta is one of the fastest growing Hispanic markets in the United States, and I’m so excited that Hawks games will now be available in Spanish to reach the many Hispanic communities represented in our very diverse city,” said two-time All-Star and Hawks center Al Horford. A native of the Dominican Republic, Horford is one of the NBA’s most recognized bilingual players and is often involved in league and team initiatives centered on growing the game.
The Hawks and iHeartMedia worked together to identify eight home games against teams currently featuring Hispanic and Latino players:
- December 15, 2014 vs. Chicago Bulls (Spain’s Pau Gasol)
- December 30, 2014 vs. Cleveland Cavaliers (Brazil’s Anderson Varejão)
- January 7, 2015 vs. Memphis Grizzlies (Spain’s Marc Gasol)
- January 25, 2015 vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (Spain’s Ricky Rubio)
- February 6, 2015 vs. Golden State Warriors (Brazil’s Leandro Barbosa)
- March 6, 2015 vs. Cleveland Cavaliers (Varejão)
- March 22, 2015 vs. San Antonio Spurs (Argentina’s Manu GinÓbili and Brazil’s Tiago Splitter)
- April 13, 2015 vs. New York Knicks (Spain’s José CalderÓn)