Charles Barkley and the Future of NBA Broadcasting
Charles Barkley, along with his colleagues Ernie Johnson and Shaquille O’Neal, hinted at the possibility of a new show on TNT despite the impending transition of “Inside the NBA” to ESPN next season. This revelation came during an interview on “The Dan Patrick Show,” where Barkley alluded to an experimental segment they recorded recently.
Concerns Over New TNT Show
Barkley described the venture as potentially foolish, suggesting that the concept behind this additional TNT show is ill-conceived.
TNT is trying to do something stupid behind the scenes
he asserted, repeating that sentiment throughout the discussion. The crew, which also includes Kenny Smith (who was not present for the comments), filmed a pilot about a month ago, which Barkley criticized, calling it “the stupidest s— I’ve ever seen in my life.”
Transition to ESPN and Future Plans
The future of “Inside the NBA” has been in the air since TNT was excluded from last summer’s NBA media rights deal, leaving fans speculating about the show’s longevity after 35 years on air. However, a recent announcement from ESPN confirmed that starting with the 2025-26 season, the show will be featured on their platforms, in collaboration with TNT Sports and the NBA. TNT will still produce the show from its Atlanta studios during this partnership.
In the upcoming season, viewers can expect the familiar faces of Barkley, Johnson, O’Neal, and Smith to appear in conjunction with major NBA events on ESPN and ABC, including the NBA Finals and Christmas Day games. Despite this, Barkley expressed that their involvement with ESPN might not be as extensive as fans anticipate.
We’re only probably gonna be working for ESPN like half the time to one-third of the time
he noted.
Challenges with the Pilot Episode
Barkley elaborated on why a separate show on TNT could be problematic, emphasizing that its lack of basketball highlights would burden the program. He pointed out that airing opposite an actual NBA game might detract viewers, saying,
Anyone who likes basketball ain’t gonna say, ‘Hey, let me turn off an NBA game to go watch these four dudes sit around and talk about nothing.’
Reflecting on their pilot episode, Barkley admitted that the crew spent an hour and a half engaged in a pointless discussion, leading them to question the purpose of the segment. Yet, he acknowledged that TNT recognized the pilot’s shortcomings immediately, stating,
Yeah, that was really stupid. We gotta figure something out.
Fans of the crew will have to wait and see how this unfolds in the future, as Barkley and the hosts strive to navigate these upcoming changes in NBA broadcasting.
