At completely different factors over the past six months, the way forward for “Inside the NBA” — the studio present that includes host Ernie Johnson and former gamers Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith — appeared bleak with TNT’s rights deal set to run out following the 2024-25 season and the league headed for Amazon and NBC, along with remaining with ESPN, in a brand new package deal.
However the community’s beloved pregame and postgame present will survive, with the Wall Road Journal reporting Saturday that ESPN will probably be licensed to air “Inside the NBA” beginning subsequent season to maintain the present intact as a part of a settlement stemming from Warner Bros. Discovery’s July lawsuit.
It’s unclear at this level how ESPN plans to make the most of the present in conjunction — or as an alternative of — its present “NBA Countdown” protection, however for now, a minimum of, the core of “Inside the NBA” will stay intact as soon as Shaq indicators an extension and the present will proceed to get produced by TNT, in keeping with The Athletic.
Again in Might, although, that didn’t all the time seem to replicate the almost definitely situation.
The 2023-24 marketing campaign ended with TNT seemingly on observe to lose its “B” package deal — which in the end occurred when the NBA introduced its 11-year, $77 billion agreements with Disney, NBC and Amazon — after which the outlook solely grew to become extra dire when the NBA rejected TNT’s determination to match the supply of Amazon.
That led to a lawsuit in July given the NBA’s “unjustified rejection of our matching of a third-party offer,” TNT Sports activities mentioned in a press release on the time.
There have been loads of different wrinkles alongside the best way that steered the tip of “Inside the NBA” might be nearing, too, from the non permanent retirement announcement of Barkley — he later introduced that he’s returning to the community regardless of the uncertainty — to even the tone of discussions whereas on the air through the postseason.
“Morale sucks,” Barkley mentioned throughout an look on the “The Dan Patrick Show” in Might. “Plain and simple. I just feel so bad for the people I work with, Dan. These people have families, and I just really feel bad for them right now. You know, these people I work with, they screwed this thing up clearly, and we don’t have zero idea of what’s going to happen.”
As a part of the settlement, TNT Sports activities can even develop extra reveals and can obtain world rights for Bleacher Report and Home of Highlights — with no extra funds for rights — for the following 11 years, in keeping with the Related Press.
However for viewers, probably the most impactful layer revolves round Johnson, round Barkley, round Shaq — so long as he signed an extension — and round Smith.
“Inside the NBA” will proceed in spite of everything.
