ESPN Is Reportedly Interested in Hiring the ‘Inside the NBA’ Cast
Following yesterday’s news that the NBA had reached a new media rights agreement with Disney, NBC Sports, and Amazon, it appears that TNT’s flagship baseball show, Inside the NBA, will end after next season.
The new media rights agreement ended Warner Bros. Discovery’s four-decade relationship with the NBA, meaning that TNT will no longer broadcast games following the end of the 2024-2024 NBA season.
Photo: ESPN
Though Warner Bros. Discovery has vowed to challenge the new rights deal in court, all eyes have already turned to the Inside the NBA team.
Will ESPN Try To Hire the ‘Inside the NBA’ Team?
According to a new report from Front Office Sports, ESPN may attempt to reunite the entire Inside the NBA cast, which includes Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, Shaquille O’Neal, and Ernie Johnson, on the Worldwide Leader in Sports.
Bringing the Inside the NBA team to ESPN would be a coup for Disney, though it may be easier said than done.
Photo: CNBC
In 2022, TNT signed long-term contract extensions with Barkley, Smith, Johnson and O’Neal. While Barkley reportedly has a clause in his contract that would allow him to leave if the network lost its NBA rights, it is not clear if his co-stars have the same option.
Additionally, NBC and Amazon Prime would likely be bidders in an Inside the NBA sweepstakes. Barkley has previously stated that he would retire from broadcasting after next season, though it remains unclear how serious that threat was.
Photo: TNT
Previously, Barkley also told Dan Patrick that he could hire Shaq, Kenny, and Ernie through his own production company and then shop the show to the highest bidder.
Warner Bros. Discovery Looks Poised to Sue
Finally, there is the Warner Bros. Discovery lawsuit. As per the current deal, Warner had the ability to match any offer that the NBA received from a new network. According to Warner, the company did match the offer that Amazon made to the NBA, only to be rebuffed by the league.
Photo: Warner Bros
“We have matched the Amazon offer, as we have a contractual right to do, and do not believe the NBA can reject it. In doing so, they are rejecting the many fans who continue to show their unwavering support for our best-in-class coverage, delivered through the full combined reach of WBD’s video-first distribution platforms — including TNT, home to our four-decade partnership with the league, and Max, our leading streaming service,” Warner said in a statement.
“We think they have grossly misinterpreted our contractual rights with respect to the 2025-26 season and beyond, and we will take appropriate action. We look forward, however, to another great season of the NBA on TNT and Max including our iconic ‘Inside the NBA.’”
(Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)
While the thought of Inside the NBA making the move to ESPN is tantalizing, for now at least, we will have to wait and see.
