ATLANTA, Aug. 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Gray Media is proud to announce two historic achievements for television stations broadcasting in the ATSC 3.0 (NEXTGEN TV) format.

First, Gray’s sports production company Tupelo Media Group will produce and its New Orleans station WVUE FOX8 will broadcast tomorrow’s New Orleans Saints preseason football game using end-to-end, native High Dynamic Range (HDR). This will be the first over-the-air broadcast in the United States of any programming that is produced in native HDR from the cameras to the production truck to the station to viewers with NEXTGEN TV television sets. It will allow New Orleans viewers to watch their hometown Saints with improved contrast between the brightest and darkest colors on the screen fulfilling one of the many promises that NEXTGEN TV brings to viewers.

Second, Gray is the first broadcast group to upconvert to HDR across all Big Four Networks. Gray completed this upgrade of all of its Big Four affiliated NEXTGEN TV stations in time for the upcoming college and professional football seasons to ensure a first-in-class viewing experience for Gray’s viewers.

“We are thrilled to build on our launch of HDR across our NEXTGEN stations by bringing our hometown New Orleans Saints to viewers in native HDR,” said Gray’s Chief Operating Officer, and Saints fan, Sandy Breland. “Gray is proud of production and station teams for making this first-of-its-kind native HDR preseason NEXTGEN TV broadcast a reality.”

“NEXTGEN TV enables countless advanced features to boost viewer experience,” said Rob Folliard, Gray’s Senior Vice President and currently chairperson of NEXTGEN TV consortium PearlTV. “Bringing football filmed, transmitted, and broadcast in native HDR free to viewers over-the-air is a great example of the benefits to viewers of NEXTGEN TV.”

About Gray Media:

Gray Media, Inc. (NYSE: GTN) is a multimedia company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The company is the nation’s largest owner of top-rated local television stations and digital assets serving 113 television markets that collectively reach approximately 37 percent of US television households. The portfolio includes 78 markets with the top-rated television station and 99 markets with the first and/or second highest rated television station during 2024, as well as the largest Telemundo Affiliate group with 44 markets.  The company also owns Gray Digital Media, a full-service digital agency offering national and local clients digital marketing strategies with the most advanced digital products and services.  Gray’s additional media properties include video production companies Raycom Sports, Tupelo Media Group, and PowerNation Studios, and studio production facilities Assembly Atlanta and Third Rail Studios. For more information, please visit www.graymedia.com.

Gray Contact:

Robert J. Folliard, III, Senior Vice President - Distribution, 404-266-8333

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