The NBA has decided to move on from its near 40-year run with TNT Sports, the league announced on July 24. In turn, it accepted an 11-year TV rights deal with Disney, NBC and Amazon that will put NBA games on ABC, NBC and Amazon Prime Video.
NBA on TNT, and with it "Inside the NBA," has become a fixture of the league's coverage over the years, hosted by Shaquille O'Neal, Charles Barkley, Ernie Johnson and Kenny Smith. But its time is soon coming to an end.
It's not just fans of the show that are upset at its termination. The day after the new deal was announced, Barkley took to social media to express his disdain with the decision. Here's what he had to say about the league's stance on its future TV rights package and his trademark show's exclusion.
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Charles Barkley statement on NBA media rights deal
Barkley has not been shy about speaking his mind throughout the NBA's negotiation process, and his latest statement accuses the league of abandoning the show that has brought fans so much joy over the years.
"Clearly the NBA has wanted to break up with us from the beginning. I'm not sure TNT ever had a chance," Barkley wrote in his statement. "TNT matched the money, but the league knows Amazon and these tech companies are the only ones willing to pay for the rights when they double in the future. The NBA didn't want to piss them off.
"It's a sad day when owners and commissioners choose money over the fans. It just sucks."
Charles Barkley, legendary TNT Inside the NBA Analyst, releases statement pic.twitter.com/oP3depz9xd
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 26, 2024
He also made sure to take the time to offer thanks to everyone who has been by his side at the network throughout his time on the show, as well as the league and its fans.
"I just want to thank everyone who has been at Turner for the last 24 years. They are the best people and the most talented and they deserve better. I also want to thank the NBA and its fans—the best fans in sports. We're going to give you everything we have next season."
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What is happening to 'Inside the NBA'?
Despite Warner Bros.', Turner's parent company, attempt to match Amazon Prime Video's offer, the NBA chose to enter "a long-term arrangement with Amazon." That being said, "Inside the NBA" will continue through 2024-25 until its current TV deal ends at the end of the upcoming season.
Barkley himself, though he signed a 10-year deal with TNT in 2022, added an opt-out clause to his contract should Turner lost its NBA license. Because of this, his future with the network after the 2024-25 season is uncertain.
The futures of Johnson, O'Neal and Smith with TNT are also up in the air, though none of them have explicitly stated whether they will stay at the network or leave when the deal is up.
For now, fans of the show have one more year to enjoy the basketball banter on "Inside the NBA" before it airs for its final time.
