Natalie Spala joins NBC Chicago as weekend sports anchor

NBC-owned WMAQ in Chicago, Illinois, has hired Natalie Spala as weekend sports anchor and reporter, the station announced Aug. 27, 2026.

Spala will begin Monday, Aug. 31, 2026, and will also contribute to “Sports Sunday,” WMAQ’s weekly sports highlights and features program hosted by Lou Canellis.

“Natalie is an exceptional journalist whose energy, knowledge and passion will be tremendous assets to our team,” News Director Vince Lattanzio said in a statement. “From breaking news to championship moments, Natalie has demonstrated an ability to connect with audiences through thoughtful reporting and engaging storytelling.”

Spala comes to WMAQ from WJLA in Washington, D.C., where she had worked as a sports anchor and reporter since 2023. She anchored weekday and weekend sportscasts and covered the region’s professional teams, with a focus on the NFL’s Washington Commanders.

She also won an Emmy Award for her coverage of the 2025 midair collision over the Potomac River.

Before WJLA, Spala worked from 2021 to 2023 at WCIV in Charleston, South Carolina, as a weekend news and sports anchor, reporter and sideline reporter. She co-anchored the station’s “Friday Night Rivals” high school football program and worked on live high school basketball and South Carolina state championship broadcasts.

Spala began her television career at WPBN in Traverse City, Michigan, where she worked from 2019 to 2021 as a news anchor and reporter and sports reporter.

A Livonia, Michigan, native, Spala graduated from the University of Michigan-Dearborn with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and screen studies. She also played four years of women’s basketball at the university.

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