ATLANTA—Gray Media and the Military Basketball Association have announced media rights deal for select MBA playoff games and other content to air on Gray’s local television stations and broadcast sports networks.

The first MBA over-the-air game airs on the Gray Media platforms on Sunday, April 13 at 6 p.m. ET. The initial airing features the MBA’s Eastern Conference Finals from the campus of Queens University of Charlotte in Charlotte, North Carolina. Game production will be provided by the university.

Gray’s over-the-air broadcast sports networks, including Palmetto Sports & Entertainment Network, Peachtree Sports Network, Matrix Midwest, Arizona’s Family Sports, and Rock

Entertainment Sports Network plan to air the game. Gray said that certain additional Gray Media local stations may also air this game. Gray’s broadcast sports networks are concentrated in the Southeast, Southwest, and Midwest and cover many military bases, including bases with teams participating in the playoffs.

The non-profit Military Basketball Association aims to prevent suicide, fight the stigma of mental health, build resiliency and provide an outlet for the trauma associated with military service. A year- round tournament league, the MBA supports nearly 1,000 players, both veteran and active-duty military, on 50 teams across the United States, Europe and Asia.

“This opportunity brings together Gray’s goals of bringing sports to consumers and fostering

community in the markets we serve,” said Sandy Breland, chief operating officer of Gray. “Our over- the-air stations and broadcast sports networks include many military communities that benefit from the MBA’s work and play, and we are therefore honored to make the MBA playoff games available to our communities.”

“The Military Basketball Association is proud to have Gray air the 2025 MBA Eastern Conference Finals Championship Game on their platforms,” added Mike Meyers, commissioner of the MBA. “The critical message of resiliency through sports being transmitted on the Gray Media platforms will no doubt save lives and offer hope to so many who may be in need of services to support their mental health fitness. As the MBA continues to promote “Life Through Basketball” and “Resiliency in Action”, it’s important to recognize that we are not alone in this effort and that Gray Media supports the US Military and Veterans across our great nation."

DALLAS—Comcast NBCUniversal has announced that once again, service members and honorably discharged Veterans worldwide will enjoy free access to NBCUniversal’s full coverage of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. 

To provide the access Comcast has partnered with the Army & Air Force Exchange Service to provide the access to personal devices and computers through ShopMyExchange.com. The Paris Olympics take place July 26 to Aug. 11.

More than 5,000 hours of the Paris Olympics will be available to U.S. service members and honorably discharged Veterans. Throughout the Games, the comprehensive offering features live competition across all 39 sports and all 329 medal events, top stories and moments, as well as live streams of select practice and warm-up sessions and extensive video content including event recaps, highlights, viral moments, interviews and more.

“We value our relationship with Comcast NBCUniversal and are thrilled to once again be able to team with them to bring the Olympic Games to service members and their families, wherever they are called to serve,” said Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Rich Martinez, the Exchange’s senior enlisted advisor. “The Olympics are one of the biggest events in the world, and we’re excited to play a role in helping our military community cheer on Team USA.”

“We’re thrilled to once again partner with The Exchange for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris. It’s our privilege to provide unprecedented access to this historic event to U.S. military service members and veterans, where the world's greatest athletes will compete against the backdrop of one of the most beautiful cities in the world.” – Mona Dexter, vice president of military and veteran affairs at Comcast NBCUniversal.

Service members can access NBCUniversal’s coverage from their computers or personal devices by visiting NBCOlympics.com (desktop) and the NBC Sports App (U.S. only) and choosing the Exchange as their service provider.

Because of content rights restrictions, an active ShopMyExchange.com account is required. OCONUS viewers must also be physically located on-installation at a military location with internet service through an authorized internet service provider to gain access. Authorized providers have partnered with the Exchange on technical solutions to allow streaming on U.S. military installations in OCONUS. They include: 101 GLOBAL, Allied Telesis, Americable, Babtel, Basefix, Boingo, DHI/TravelWiFi, DSN, LG Uplus, Mediatti Broadband, Solutions by STC, Telecom Italia, TKS and US Wicom. 

Additional information is available on the Exchange’s online community Hub at ShopMyExchange.com/community. 

PHILADELPHIA—As National Military Appreciation Month gets underway, Comcast has announced several new initiatives to help veterans, service members, and their families that include a $1 million commitment to fund nonprofits that serve the military community and a new Xfinity Military discount program. 

“For more than 60 years, Comcast has had a special relationship with the military community. We’re proud to reaffirm that commitment again today,” said Mona Dexter, vice president, Comcast Military & Veterans Affairs. “From celebrating connectivity and service, to investing in the community, we’re proud to support our nation’s veterans, service members, and their families.”

The company also announce the launch of the “The Aviators” ad campaign to honor the military community. Directed by Oscar Winner Kathryn Bigelow, of The Hurt Locker and Zero Dark Thirty, the ad campaign, titled “The Aviators,” has the feel of a short film that honors our nation’s airmen.

It tells the story of a grandfather anticipating the weekend reunion with his fellow Navy shipmates. As he describes the group and the experience of flying an A-4 Skyhawk jet to his granddaughter (seen through moments of flashbacks to the era), she gets inspired to surprise the aging men with an experience they never thought they’d have: flying together again, thanks to the power of the advanced Xfinity network.

Throughout 2024, Comcast said it will support several military-serving nonprofits advancing digital equity with grants totaling more than $1 million. The investments, which will focus on digital skill-building programs, entrepreneurship, and providing computers and free WiFi connectivity, are part of Project UP, the company’s $1 billion, comprehensive initiative to advance digital equity and help build a future of unlimited possibilities. Some of these organizations include:

NPower. Comcast’s support provides free tech training for nearly 500 active-duty service members transitioning out of the military, as well as military spouses, job placement services, and advanced Cybersecurity and Cloud skills training programs.

Our Community Salutes.  Through this partnership, 3,000 high-school graduate enlistees and their families will learn more about and receive connectivity offers and digital equity resources.

Wounded Warrior Project. Funding will enable digital navigator training to ensure more veterans can access their hard-earned health benefits online, as well as find career resources.

Hesperus. Comcast will donate laptops to Native American veterans who are participating in the Entrepreneurship Veteran Bootcamp, a unique program that offers cutting-edge, experiential training in entrepreneurship and small business management to Native American Veterans in New Mexico and the Southwest Region of the United States.

United Service Organizations (USO). Together, Comcast and the USO will raise awareness about Xfinity’s connectivity solutions on military installations. Comcast will also support the USO’s efforts to provide e-gaming to active military members, which creates physical and digital gaming communities and events for service members to connect with each other and their families, whether they’re stateside or overseas.

The company also reported that the new Xfinity Military offer and NBCUniversal discounts provide more than $700 in savings. They include: 

• A $180 Visa Gift Card for new and existing Military customers that can be applied to their choice of Xfinity services (equivalent to $15 a month per year).
• One free Xfinity Mobile line for a year (a $480 value – requires subscription to Xfinity Internet Service).
• Automatic upgrade to become an Xfinity Diamond Rewards member (which is normally reserved for customers who have been with Xfinity for 14+ years) as a part of the Xfinity Rewards program. Enrollment in the program is free. 
• Diamond benefits include: Free Peacock Premium (a $60 annual value), with access to 80,000+ hours of the best in TV, including the latest hits from NBC & Bravo, hundreds of hit movies like Oppenheimer, The Holdovers, and Trolls, plus LIVE sports including Sunday Night Football and Premier League.
• Diamond benefits also include access to great entertainment with $1 movie nights, exclusive tickets to premiere movie events, exclusive streaming events with NBCU talent, a wide variety of digital discounts to sites like the NBC Store and Bravo.com, tickets to local sporting events, giveaways, gift cards, sweepstakes, and more.
• The military community can also continue to enjoy unique streaming experiences, specially priced park tickets, vacation packages, and discounted resort stays at Universal Destinations & Experiences.

Since 2015, Comcast companies have also hired more than 21,000 veterans, National Guard and reserve service members, and military spouses. In addition, Comcast NBCUniversal has more than 9,000 employees in their Veterans Network ERG.

For any storyteller, there’s an immense benefit to serving on both sides of the lens.

Sgt. Matthew Callahan is one of those storytellers, a Marine who was deployed in Afghanistan and then returned as a combat correspondent with the Public Affairs office for the Department of Defense. For his work covering military operations in the field, Callahan was named both 2017 Military Photographer and Military Videographer of the Year, the first time both awards have been awarded to the same individual.

After breaking his leg during his deployment to Afghanistan in 2010 and recovering alongside other members of his Wounded Warrior detachment, Callahan had a camera placed in his hands. Callahan, who spoke with Susan Ashworth of Government Video about his experience, will give a Government Video Expo keynote discussion titled “Persistence of Vision” on Wednesday, Nov. 28 at 3 p.m. in the Government Video Theater.

GV:Tell us a little about your background as a service member and as a photographer/videographer? Were you taking photographs before you entered the military?

Sgt. Matthew Callahan: I enlisted in the Marine Corps as infantry member and had my first deployment to Afghanistan in 2010 where I broke my leg in Helmand Province. I snapped it jumping a wadi, or canal, while on patrol in 2010. I was the first of many people who hurt themselves [in that same location].

I was transferred to the Wounded Warrior detachment. It took a year to get recovered and in that time I started to do on-the-job training with Public Affairs. I had no experience with photography at that point. I learned the craft when they put a camera in my hands.

I did not return to Afghanistan after my injury, but since I became a photographer [and] videographer, I travelled to several countries. Most notably, in 2017 I deployed on a Marine Expeditionary Unit and spent five months in Syria with an artillery battery as they supported Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve in the destruction of ISIS. Specifically, we supported the Syrian Democratic Force's taking of Raqqa, Syria, ISIS’ de facto capital.

GV:What do you think it is about your still images and videos that resonate with viewers?

Callahan: I think when you think about any kind of profession, there’s the wave tops — people’s perception of that profession. But when you dig beyond that and you find, no matter what you’re doing, there are these little idiosyncrasies, this little bit of culture you take from everywhere all around you.

What I’ve tried to do with my images for the Marine Corps is to take those little things you take for granted: the 5 pounds of crap in your pocket or you sleeping on a dirt floor. The things that people generally don’t think about.

I’ve been fortunate to be able to shed a light on the smaller moments. There’s a place for the big rah-rah moments as well. But there’s a need for the human moments too.

GV:What are some of the challenges you faced in the field?

Callahan: Let me talk about what worked well first. What’s easy in a garrison environment is that you have more control over what you’re doing. You can go back and shoot it again. [In comparison] when you’re in a deployment, what you have is what you’ve got, so you better be ready. You’ve got to be able to carry 40 to 50 pounds of gear and a tripod and a weapon and other things. That was challenging.

It’s about learning along the way and adapting to the situation you’re in. You do your job, maintain the gear, make sure it’s clean. That’s all you have with you.

GV:What was your reaction to being named the first service member awarded with both Military Photographer and Videographer of the Year honors?

Callahan: It was really exciting and humbling to win both. And I think on a bigger scale it’s almost a proof of concept in a lot of ways. [Winning both the photography and videography award] illustrates the possibility that not only can you dip into multiple disciplines but you can excel at them and do them simultaneously.

GV:Is there a favorite photo or video segment that you feel tells the story just the way you wanted to?

Callahan: When it comes to stills, some of my favorites images are the ones we talked about: those quiet, silly, stupid moments that you take for granted or are asleep for; the day-to-day or the in-between. That resonates with me and also captures what these folks were going through. It lets people see what they are seeing. It takes you out of the world of two dimensions and into the realm of three dimensions. It humanizes them.

GV:What kind of camera do you use in your work?

Callahan: I use a DSLR for both still and video work. The drone I used was a DJI Phantom 4 Pro Plus on deployment. It was one of two systems used for a counter-UAS system we had.

GV:What do you hope attendees will walk away with from your GV Expo session?

Callahan: One theme has to do with telling stories and making content. The best thing you can do is to consider the perspective of someone who has no idea of what story you are trying to tell. Try to step into a stranger’s shoes who has no experience with [the situation you’re photographing].

The other is learning the technical stuff, the storytelling stuff, the billions of elements that come into telling a story. It’s incremental for anyone who has had any success: there’s no single workshop, no single person to teach you. Instead it’s keeping your mind open and taking little, tiny bits of info into your toolbox.

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