Congratulations to CBK Media Management client Natalie Spala on making a top-3 market jump to Chicago, IL (market #3) and joining the NBC 5 Chicago Sports team. Natalie is the new weekend sports anchor/reporter at NBC Chicago and she will also work on Sports Sunday with Lou Canellis.
Before making the big move to the Windy City, Natalie spent the previous three years working at WJLA (ABC) in Washington DC. Natalie covered all of DC’s professional sports teams, including the Commanders amazing playoff run to the NFC Championship game in 2025. In 2024, Natalie traveled to Detroit for NFL Draft coverage. Shortly after the Commanders selected Jayden Daniels with the number-two overall pick, Natalie secured on of the first interviews with the rookie quarterback. Natalie established herself as one of DC’s lead reporters on the Commanders beat. She routinely appeared on podcasts and radio shows across the country to discuss Commanders football and other DC sports teams and topics. A versatile journalist, Natalie was honored with an EMMY award for her live shots following the tragic mid-air collision over the Potomac River in DC in January 2025.
Prior to DC, Natalie spent 2021-2023 working at WCIV (ABC) in Charleston, SC as the weekend sports/news anchor/reporter. Natalie covered the nationally ranked College of Charleston men’s basketball team and the Cougars run to the NCAA Tournament in March 2023. She also covered the Clemson Tigers and South Carolina Gamecocks on a regular basis. Over the last two years, Natalie played a key role in co-anchoring the station’s Credit One Tennis Open coverage. She was also hand-picked by Sinclair Broadcast Group to be the sideline reporter for the South Carolina High School State Championship Football games and color analyst for the South Carolina High School State Championship Basketball Games. ESPN+ also chose Natalie to be the dugout reporter for the 2023 Southern Conference Baseball Tournament in Greenville, SC.
A Detroit-area native, Natalie graduated from the University of Michigan-Dearborn University with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Screen Studies. A tremendous scholar-athlete, Natalie enjoyed a stellar four-year career as a member of the Wolverines basketball team. While in college, Natalie interned with the WJBK (FOX) sports department in Detroit, MI. Natalie’s career in television news began in Traverse City, MI as a sports anchor/news anchor/reporter at WPBN (NBC). When Natalie isn’t working, she enjoys reading and spending time outdoors with friends. #TeamCBK