“Inside the NBA” will continue, although games will no longer be broadcast on TNT at the end of this season.
The popular studio show will appear on ESPN and ABC starting next season as part of a deal between Warner Bros. Discovery and the NBA announced Monday.
The settlement grants TNT Sports, Bleacher Report and House of Highlights a worldwide license to NBA content without rights fees for the next 11 years.
Warner Bros. Discovery, the parent company of TNT Sports, sued the NBA in New York state court in August after the league failed to accept the company’s matching offer for one of its new packages. 11-year media rights agreement, which will begin with the 2025-26 season.
Although “Inside the NBA” will air on ESPN and ABC, TNT Sports will continue to produce the show. It will be broadcast from Atlanta, except when the series goes on tour.
The quartet of Ernie Johnson Jr., Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Shaquille O’Neal will remain on the series. Barkley signed an extension with Warner Bros. Discovery in August despite the company losing the NBA.
“‘Inside the NBA’ is universally recognized as one of the best and most culturally impactful sports shows,” said Jimmy Pitaro, president of ESPN. “We have long admired this immensely talented team and are excited to add their chemistry and knowledge to our robust set of NBA studio offerings to serve NBA fans like never before. The addition of “Inside the NBA” further cements ESPN as the premier destination for sports fans.
“Inside the NBA” will provide pregame, halftime and postgame coverage of ABC’s NBA Finals, Conference Finals and NBA Playoffs. During the regular season, this will be part of coverage of opening week, as well as Christmas Day, all ABC games after Jan. 1, the final week of the season and other marquee events.
“The opportunity to continue the iconic, Emmy Award-winning ‘Inside the NBA’ is a huge win for basketball fans everywhere,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a press release. “We look forward to strengthening our long-standing partnership with TNT Sports and working together to promote NBA content across major WBD and NBA platforms.”
“Inside the NBA” began in 1989, Johnson became the host in 1990 while Smith joined full-time in 1998. Barkley joined the team in 2000, followed by O’Neal in 2011. The show has won 21 Sports Emmy Awards.
ESPN will also continue to produce “NBA Countdown” and “NBA Today.”
Warner Bros. Discovery will also continue its relationship with the league’s digital operations, including NBA.com, for five seasons. TNT Sports and the NBA have jointly managed NBA Digital since 2009.
Although TNT Sports will not broadcast games in the United States starting next season, the company has the rights to broadcast a full package of games in certain countries, including Latin America (excluding Brazil and Mexico), Poland, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden.
TNT Sports will also begin broadcasting 13 Big 12 football games and 15 men’s basketball games next season under a sublicense with ESPN. TNT will broadcast two College Football Playoff games starting this season, also under a sublicense with ESPN.
Turner Sports has offered an NBA package since 1984, and games have been broadcast on TNT since the network launched in 1988. That will end after this season.
“Together, these agreements ensure fans will continue to enjoy TNT’s “Inside the NBA” and create significant value across our portfolio as we accelerate the growth of TNT Sports, Bleacher Report, House of Highlights and our global sports business,” Warner Bros. said. Discovery,” CEO David Zaslav said in a statement. “We are pleased to partner with the NBA and Disney/ESPN, and to have solidified long-term rights and revenue for WBD.”
