Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are a privately held NBA franchise operating in Atlanta since 1968, owned by Tony Ressler's group, serving regional fans through live basketball, multi-network broadcast simulcasts, NBA League Pass streaming, merchandise, corporate sponsorships, and community engagement programs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1968
- HeadquartersAtlanta, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Atlanta Hawks does
The Atlanta Hawks are a privately held professional NBA franchise competing in the league's Southeast Division, operating continuously in Atlanta since 1968 under the current entity (with franchise roots tracing to 1946 as the Buffalo Bisons). The team is owned by Tony Ressler's ownership group, which acquired the franchise in 2015 with Grant Hill joining as a minority co-owner, and the franchise carries an estimated Forbes valuation of approximately $2.3 billion as of 2024. Dyal Capital Partners holds a minority investment following a 2022 transaction. The Hawks employ 251-500 staff supporting basketball operations, front-office functions, and game-day operations at their Atlanta home arena.
The franchise generates revenue through the standard NBA economic stack: gate receipts and ticket sales, local and league-level media rights, corporate sponsorships, merchandise sales distributed via the NBA Store and team channels, and NBA League Pass streaming subscriptions. Distribution is anchored by the NBA's national broadcast partnerships and the team's own multi-network regional simulcast agreement covering 11 games in 2025-26 across WANF-TV (free over-the-air), Peachtree Sports Network, and FanDuel Sports Network. Customer-facing digital surface includes the official NBA mobile app and team website (nba.com/hawks). Beyond basketball, the Hawks Foundation operates community programs including the HBCU Pathways paid-internship initiative with Georgia Power (fourth year in 2025-26) and charitable healthcare partnerships such as the joint prostate cancer awareness campaign with the Ressler Gertz Family Foundation and Emory Healthcare.
The franchise's commercial posture emphasizes regional brand-building and partnership-driven revenue diversification rather than direct-to-consumer technology monetization. Roster management is active, exemplified by the February 2026 acquisition of Gabe Vincent and a 2032 second-round draft pick from the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Luke Kennard. Notable internal risk: a former employee was indicted in November 2025 for allegedly stealing nearly $4 million from the franchise, underscoring governance and internal-control considerations.
Atlanta Hawks firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Atlanta Hawks
- Legal name
- Atlanta Hawks
- Website
- https://nba.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1968
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- The Atlanta Hawks are a privately held NBA franchise operating in Atlanta since 1968, owned by Tony Ressler's group, serving regional fans through live basketball, multi-network broadcast simulcasts, NBA League Pass streaming, merchandise, corporate sponsorships, and community engagement programs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Atlanta Hawks industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Professional Sports Entertainment
- NAICS
- Sports Teams and Clubs (711211), Spectator Sports (71121)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Basketball Leagues (MPAKAAAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Athlete & Team Sponsorship Deals (Official Partners, Jersey/Kit Sponsors) (MPAKALAA), Professional Live Sports Leagues & Tours (MPAGAMAA)
Keywords
Where Atlanta Hawks is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Atlanta
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Atlanta Hawks business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels1 record
Atlanta Hawks product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Atlanta Hawks operate a professional NBA basketball franchise, delivering live sports entertainment to Atlanta-area fans and national/international audiences through regional broadcast agreements and NBA League Pass streaming. The franchise also generates revenue from licensed team merchandise, corporate sponsorships, and community-facing programs such as the HBCU Pathways internship initiative and charitable giving partnerships with the Prostate Cancer Foundation.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- NBA Game Broadcasts (Atlanta Hawks)
Companies that use Atlanta Hawks
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Atlanta Hawks technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Atlanta Hawks partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Prostate Cancer FoundationcoreAtlanta Hawks Foundation and Ressler Gertz Family Foundation made a $150,000 joint donation ($75,000 each) to the Prostate Cancer Foundation during a game presented by Emory Healthcare. The donation brings their total partnership giving since 2019 to over $1 million, aimed at increasing prostate cancer awareness and supporting research initiatives for Black men who face 76% higher risk of developing the disease.
- Ressler Gertz Family FoundationcoreJoint philanthropy partner with Atlanta Hawks Foundation for prostate cancer awareness, contributing $75,000 to the Prostate Cancer Foundation as part of their ongoing charitable partnership since 2019.
- Emory HealthcareminorPresented the prostate cancer awareness game where the $150,000 donation was made to the Prostate Cancer Foundation, serving as healthcare partner for the initiative.
- Georgia PowercoreGeorgia Power and the Atlanta Hawks are collaborating to expand the HBCU Pathways program for a fourth year, providing paid internships to support students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities in Georgia across various departments to foster career development in sports, entertainment, and business.
- WANF-TVcoreAtlanta Hawks reached an agreement to simulcast 11 games this season on WANF-TV, making broadcasts accessible via free over-the-air and major pay-TV systems across Atlanta and surrounding regions.
- Peachtree Sports NetworkcoreAtlanta Hawks simulcast 11 games on Peachtree Sports Network as part of multi-network broadcast agreement for regional distribution.
- FanDuel Sports NetworkcoreAtlanta Hawks simulcast 11 games on FanDuel Sports Network as part of expanded broadcast agreement for regional sports coverage.
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Atlanta Hawks competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Charlotte Hornets: NBA Southeast Division rival and direct competitor; operates the same product (NBA basketball) for the same league, with comparable revenue mix and market-tier positioning to the Hawks.
- Miami Heat: NBA Southeast Division peer competing in the same division; same league economics, comparable franchise-scale, and overlapping broadcast/distribution model through RSNs and NBA League Pass.
- Orlando Magic: NBA Southeast Division peer with similar market size and franchise profile; directly comparable on product (NBA basketball), revenue mix, and competitive economics.
- Washington Wizards: NBA Southeast Division rival; directly comparable on product offering, league revenue share, and franchise-tier positioning to the Hawks.
- Memphis Grizzlies: NBA Western Conference team of similar market tier; directly comparable on product (NBA basketball), revenue mix, and mid-market franchise dynamics.
- New Orleans Pelicans: NBA Western Conference team of similar market tier; directly comparable on product (NBA basketball), revenue mix, and franchise-scale dynamics to the Hawks.
- Cleveland Cavaliers: NBA Eastern Conference team in a similar mid-market, privately-held position; directly comparable on product, broadcast model, and franchise economics.
- Boston Celtics: NBA Eastern Conference franchise offering the same product (NBA basketball) with a premium on-court profile; comparable on revenue mix and league economics, and a relevant benchmark for franchise-value upside.
- Los Angeles Lakers: NBA flagship franchise and trade counterparty for the Hawks in the Kennard deal; same product (NBA basketball) at the top end of the franchise-value spectrum, providing a relevant upper-bound valuation benchmark.
Broad incumbents
- Madison Square Garden Sports Corp. Publicly traded sports holding company (Knicks, Rangers) with a broader portfolio; comparable on the professional-team-ownership business model, league revenue-share economics, and asset-class dynamics relevant to the Hawks.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Atlanta Hawks social profiles
Digital presenceAtlanta Hawks financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Atlanta Hawks leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Atlanta Hawks funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Atlanta Hawks M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Atlanta Hawks
What does Atlanta Hawks do?
The Atlanta Hawks operate a professional NBA basketball franchise, delivering live sports entertainment to Atlanta-area fans and national/international audiences through regional broadcast agreements and NBA League Pass streaming. The franchise also generates revenue from licensed team merchandise, corporate sponsorships, and community-facing programs such as the HBCU Pathways internship initiative and charitable giving partnerships with the Prostate Cancer Foundation.
Is Atlanta Hawks a public or private company?
Atlanta Hawks is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently operating.
When was Atlanta Hawks founded?
Atlanta Hawks was founded in 1968. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Atlanta Hawks based?
Atlanta Hawks is headquartered in Atlanta, United States, in the North America region.
Who are Atlanta Hawks's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Charlotte Hornets, Miami Heat, Orlando Magic, Washington Wizards, Memphis Grizzlies, New Orleans Pelicans, Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers. Madison Square Garden Sports Corp. is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Atlanta Hawks have an API?
No public API is recorded for Atlanta Hawks.
What industry is Atlanta Hawks in?
Atlanta Hawks's product category is Professional Sports Entertainment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAKAAAD, Basketball Leagues, with a secondary code of MPAKALAA, Athlete & Team Sponsorship Deals (Official Partners, Jersey/Kit Sponsors). Its NAICS code is 711211 and its SIC code is 7900.