Following reports of NBC potentially taking over NBA broadcasting from TNT, uncertainties loom over the future of the iconic "Inside the NBA" crew, including the potential departure of key members and the show's continuation without its stalwart host, Ernie Johnson.
The NBA is preparing for its next round of media rights deals, and TNT's parent company, Warner Bros., faces the risk of losing the broadcast rights it's held since 1989.
With TNT's deal set to expire after the next season, NBC is reportedly poised to swoop in with a reported $2.5 billion offer, potentially edging out TNT.
According to insights from The Ringer's Bill Simmons, NBC is primed to take over NBA broadcasting duties from TNT once the new media rights agreement is inked.
This shift would likely signal the end of an era for the famed "Inside the NBA" crew -- Shaquille O'Neal, Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley, and Ernie Johnson -- as they might no longer appear on TV screens starting from the 2025-26 season.
Recently, Charles Barkley admitted he's concerned about the future of Inside the NBA, saying there's a real possibility that NBC could outbid Warner Bros.
"I wish I had any damn idea [where we're going]," Barkleysaid in an interview on ESPN Chicago. "We're in the bidding war with NBC. They've already signed their package with ESPN, they've already signed their package with Amazon, and it's down to one piece of the puzzle between us [TNT] and NBC. The last [bid] we've heard was around 2.5 billion, and we have zero idea what's going to happen.
"We might lose it," he added. "I feel so bad for the people I work with. It's brutal, it's flat-out brutal, everybody's scared to death. ... I think this is the first time it actually came for actual bidding. This is the first time doing an exclusive window. We did not re-sign in advance. It's very stressful."
Charles Barkley
Credit Scott Halleran/Getty Images/AFP - Scanpix
During a recent appearance on "The Dan Patrick Show," Barkley hinted at the potential for him to become a free agent if TNT loses the NBA, though uncertainties linger regarding the contract statuses of Smith and O'Neal.
Johnson, the stalwart lead host of TNT's NBA coverage for 35 years, reportedly intends to stick with the network.
"I don't know how it works without Ernie," Barkley said. "And I can't speak for NBC. I don't know if they'd want all three of us. Our show won't be the same without Ernie. Ernie is the most important person on our show."
According to Chad Finn of Boston.com, it's doubtful that if WBD and TNT lose the NBA, Barkley, Smith, and O'Neal would stick together for another network. Essentially, if WBD doesn't keep the NBA, a studio show unlike any other will disappear.
Despite the negative air,in an episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast, Simmons is optimistic that Inside the NBA is going to continue to exist.
"Inside the NBA is going to be fine. If they don't keep the NBA package, which they are not going to, somebody else is going to take Barkley and Kenny and probably Shaq," Simmons said. "I think Shaq's almost like a salary cap trade; we have to take his contract."
"I don't know if Ernie leaves TNT/Turner at this point. He has been there since 1892, but Barkley and Kenny [are] like a package deal," he joked and explained.
"They'll go somewhere else, and guess what? The NBA wants to keep Barkley and Kenny as a post-game show for one of the three streamers that is going to get this package: NBC Peaco*ck, ESPN, Amazon. They are going to one of those three places. We're not losing those guys," Simmons continued.
"So save your hysteria and sadness. Let's not overthink this. [David] Zaslav, who runs Warner and who has done some things that he's taken heat for, this would be a dealbreaker. Like, he's canceled movies, but if he somehow goes, 'No, you're under contract. You can't leave. There will be no Inside the NBA...' He's not doing that.
"There are three suitors, and all of them are going to want Barkley and Kenny. So those guys are fine; save your tears," he concluded on the matter.
"Inside the NBA" has consistently ranked among the best sports analysis shows on American TV, having won eighteen Sports Emmy Awards throughout its history.
- TNT lose NBA media rights to NBC, report states
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