“Inside the NBA” will have a new home next year.
The beloved sports show featuring Ernie Johnson Jr., Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, and Shaquille O’Neal is coming back. It will air on ESPN and ABC starting with the 2025-26 season. The unprecedented deal in a partnership deal between TNT Sports and the NBA, ESPN reported.
According to the agreement, TNT Sports will show 13 Big 12 football and 15 men’s basketball games. TNT will air two College Football Playoff games beginning this season, also under a sublicensing deal with ESPN.
Additionally, ESPN will stay on to produce the network’s basketball programming including “NBA Countdown” and “NBA Today.”
TNT Sports, Bleacher Report, and House of Highlights will have a global license for NBA content “with no rights fee for the next 11 years.”
Turner Sports has had an NBA package since 1984. TNT has aired NBA games since 1988. This season will be the final one.
Jimmy Pitaro, Chairman of ESPN, shared his excitement about the partnership in a statement.
“We have long admired the immensely talented team and are thrilled to add their chemistry and knowledge to our robust set of NBA studio offerings to super-serve NBA fans like never before,” Pitaro said.” The addition of Inside the NBA further solidifies ESPN as the preeminent destination for sports fans.”
“At TNT Sports, we take great pride in our Inside the NBA show. Its success is both a reflection of the iconic talent on set and the incredible people behind the scenes who consistently demonstrate the creativity and craft of our great team,” TNT Sports CEO Luis Silberwasser added. “We are thrilled to continue to produce Inside the NBA for ESPN and ABC, ensuring fans are able to keep enjoying the magic of this show during the NBA season.”
“The opportunity to continue the iconic and Emmy Award-winning ‘Inside the NBA’ is a huge win for basketball fans everywhere,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “We look forward to building on our longstanding partnership with TNT Sports and working together to promote NBA content across key WBD and NBA platforms.”
The settlement follows Warner Bros. Discovery, the parent company of TNT Sports, filed a lawsuit against the NBA in August after the league did not accept the company’s matching offer for a new media rights deal. The league instead chose Disney, the parent company of ESPN. Amazon Prime, and NBC, as its new media partners. The deal was worth almost $76 Billion.
Since 1989, “Inside the NBA” has been hosted by Johnson as its flagship basketball show. In 1998, Smith came on as a co-host in 1998. Barkley joined in 2000 followed by O’Neal in 2011. Barkley signed a lucrative 10- extension with Warnes Bros Discovery in August.
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