When TNT Sports lost the rights to the NBA this summer, with the league opting for a three-network deal with ESPN, NBC, and Amazon, the biggest question from fans was what would the future look like for ‘Inside the NBA’. After initially sounding as though it would end after this season, TNT was able to get Charles Barkley to agree to stick around for the remainder of his contract, with plans to continue the show in some capacity.
Now, we know what that will be, and instead of TNT airing the fellas talking about various sports (as was rumored at one point), they will continue to cover the NBA as part of ESPN’s NBA coverage in a unique licensing deal between Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery. According to the Wall Street Journal and Andrew Marchand of The Athletic, the deal will see TNT Sports continue producing the show, but it will air on ESPN.
Separately, Warner Bros. Discovery struck a deal with Disney to license the TNT show “Inside the NBA” to ESPN and ABC starting next season, according to the people familiar with the matter. The show, which features the former players Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal, has an enthusiastic and large following. The show will air throughout the course of the season.
This all happens alongside a larger settlement between the NBA and WBD, with Bleacher Report and House of Highlights maintaining rights to NBA videos. That is all excellent news for those at TNT Sports and those outlets, and sources inside TNT Sports tell Dime that they are “considering it a best case scenario” after losing NBA game broadcasts. [UPDATE: This post previously stated WBD would continue operating NBA TV and the league’s digital platforms, as was reported by the WSJ, but that was incorrect. NBA Digital and WBD will continue their current relationship but will not be operated by WBD (as is the current structure), while NBA TV will not be operated by WBD in the future.]
For NBA fans the biggest news is that Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny Smith, and Ernie Johnson will still be on our televisions — one would assume from Studio J in Atlanta still if TNT is producing it — each week during the NBA season. One would expect they’ll move from their Thursday slot to Wednesday for ESPN’s biggest night of games — as the other options are Friday and Sunday and I have a hard time imagining them moving to either of those. The move allows the best show to continue without any changes to talent in front of or behind the camera, which is particularly important, and one would think if ESPN is adding the show they will understand what makes it so good and give it the kind of space and time it deserves, rather than what they currently do with their studio offering. It remains to be seen what happens with NBA Countdown, as they’ll still need to have something for those Friday and Sunday games, but may shake up their main crew with the Inside fellas becoming their A-crew and Finals team.
