Here’s all that really matters to fans: Shaq, Kenny, Charles and Ernie will remain on air next season.
The best and extremely popular pre/postgame show in all of sports, Inside the NBA on TNT, will be back next season, jumping to ABC/ESPN, something that was reported over the weekend and was confirmed Monday morning by the NBA.
The NBA and Warner Bros. Discovery have settled their lawsuit over the NBA’s new television deal (which moved away from TNT as a major domestic broadcast partner; the broadcaster sued over their right to match part of the new deal, particularly with Amazon). 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. Adjacent to the settlement, TNT got the rights to broadcast some Big 12 college football and basketball games domestically. TNT also gets additional rights to broadcast NBA games in some international markets.
The key part of this for NBA fans is simple: TNT will continue to produce “Inside the NBA” with the same panelists Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, Ernie Johnson, and Kenny Smith will remain with the show. The vibe of the show will feel the same and not bend in the direction ESPN has taken its NBA analysis shows (as well as for other sports) in recent years.
Getting in on international game broadcasts could be good for Warner Bros. Discovery, which is seen as where the greatest opportunity for future growth of the league may be, according to many on the business side of the NBA.
But again, what really matters for fans is that Shaq, Kenny, Charles and Ernie will remain on air next season. Just on a different channel.