NBC 5 Chicago (WMAQ-TV) has named Emmy Award-winning journalist Natalie Spala as weekend sports anchor/reporter. Spala joined the station August 31 and will also contribute to NBC 5 Chicago’s weekly sports highlights and features program, Sports Sunday, hosted by Lou Canellis.
Vince Lattanzio, News Director at NBC 5 Chicago, made the announcement.
“Natalie is an exceptional journalist whose energy, knowledge and passion will be tremendous assets to our team,” Lattanzio said. “From breaking news to championship moments, Natalie has demonstrated an ability to connect with audiences through thoughtful reporting and engaging storytelling.”
He added, “We’re excited to welcome Natalie to NBC 5 and look forward to introducing her to sports fans across the Chicago area.”
Spala comes to Chicago from WJLA-TV, the ABC affiliate in Washington, D.C., where she worked as a sports anchor/reporter from 2023 to 2026.
During her time there, she anchored weekday and weekend sportscasts and covered the region’s professional teams, with a particular focus on the NFL’s Washington Commanders.
She also recently earned an Emmy Award for her coverage of the 2025 Potomac River mid-air collision.
Before WJLA, Spala spent two years at WCIV-TV in Charleston, South Carolina, serving as a weekend news and sports anchor/reporter and sideline reporter.
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Her work there included anchoring sportscasts and newscasts, producing feature stories, co-anchoring Friday Night Rivals and serving as both a basketball color analyst and football sideline reporter for South Carolina high school championship coverage.
Spala began her television career at WPBN-TV in Traverse City, Michigan, where she worked as a news anchor/reporter and sports reporter from 2019 to 2021.
A native of Livonia, Michigan, Spala earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and screen studies from the University of Michigan-Dearborn.
She was also a four-year scholar-athlete and member of the Wolverines women’s basketball team.
With her move to WMAQ, Spala joins one of Chicago’s most competitive sports markets and adds another experienced on-air presence to NBC 5’s local coverage.
