Peachtree TV adds SEC football, basketball to lineup

Peachtree TV, the Atlanta channel known primarily for Braves games and movies, will add SEC football and basketball to its lineup next season.

The station, part of Turner Broadcasting, has reached a deal to be the Atlanta home for a package of SEC games being syndicated to local outlets by ESPN.

The deal, confirmed Tuesday by both Peachtree TV and ESPN, will provide a SEC football game on Peachtree TV at noon each Saturday this fall and three SEC men’s basketball games per week beginning in January.

The games will be produced by ESPN. Announcers have not been chosen.

Peachtree TV general manager Jonathan Katz called the deal “a huge win” and said it came after “lively and aggressive bidding” among Atlanta stations.

“Our focus is on … bringing viewers programming they are passionate about,” Katz said. “And there is no greater passion in Atlanta than SEC football.”

The package does not include the SEC’s top football match-ups, which will be televised nationally on CBS and ESPN. Peachtree TV generally won’t know which games it will be airing until two weeks in advance. The first of its 13 games this year will air on Sept. 5.

The men’s basketball package will give Peachtree TV nine Saturday afternoon doubleheaders, beginning Jan. 9, and eight Wednesday-night games, beginning Jan. 13, plus the first two rounds of the SEC tournament.

Peachtree TV also will carry SEC women’s basketball games on eight consecutive Sunday afternoons, starting Jan. 10.

The SEC represents Peachtree TV’s first expansion in sports programming beyond the Braves. The station broadcasts 45 Braves games per season.

Katz said the SEC games, combined with the Braves, will give Peachtree TV sports programming 85 days per year.