Atlanta Hawks announce new TV deal with Fox Sports

The Atlanta Hawks and Fox Sports have partnered on a new agreement that will ensure that all 82 regular season games will be televised during the 2015-2016 season, according to a release. Per the agreement, SportSouth will continue to serve as the exclusive regional television partner of the team, and in addition to the full slate of regular season action, the agreement allows for three preseason games to be placed on the air.

Hawks CEO Steve Koonin had this to say:

"We are excited to extend our partnership with SportSouth and build off the record-setting ratings that we established during our thrilling playoff series last season," Koonin said. "The broadcast of live sports is crucial to our business and we are fortunate to have a great partner with such a large footprint to grow our fan base."

This is an unquestionable upgrade for fans of the team moving forward, and that is the major takeaway. Broadcasting all 82 regular season games is a must in this market, and with the addition of preseason contests, this will allow the fan base to build a bit of a "buzz" from watching the tune-up action in advance of the season opener.

Financial terms were not disclosed as a part of the release, but regardless of the price tag, this is a win for all parties.