Here’s what really matters to fans: Shaq, Kenny, Charles and Ernie will be on the air next season.
The best — and wildly popular — pre/postgame show in all of sports, Inside the NBA on TNT, will return next season, jumping to ABC/ESPN, according to multiple reports.
The NBA and Warner Bros. Discovery settled its lawsuit over the NBA’s new TV deal (which moved away from TNT as a major broadcast partner; the broadcaster sued for their right to match part of the new deal, especially with Amazon), according to the Wall Street Journal. As part of that deal, Inside the NBA – with its full, regular cast – will move to ABC/ESPN, which hosts a large package of NBA regular season and playoff games, as well as the NBA Finals, something confirmed by Andrew Marchand and Jenna West of The Athletic.
“Inside the NBA” panelists Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, Ernie Johnson and Kenny Smith will remain with the show, the sources said. O’Neal still needs to agree to an extension but has indicated his intention to stay in the program, according to one of the sources.
TNT Sports will get global rights outside the United States for “Inside the NBA,” House of Highlights and its parent company, Bleacher Report, according to the sources. TNT will have a full package of regular-season and playoff games outside the United States
This is not official – neither side has commented on the story – and should be signed by both sides and many lawyers. However, it seems likely.
TNT will continue to produce the popular show. Getting into international game broadcasts could be good for Warner Bros. Discovery, that is seen as the biggest opportunity for future growth of the league, according to many in the business side of the NBA.
What really matters to fans is that Shaq, Kenny, Charles and Ernie will stay on the air next season.
