Charles Barkley Announces Decision on His Future After New NBA TV Deal

NBA fans won't have the pleasure of catching Charles Barkley's coverage much longer. Better news? The Hall-of-Fame player turned fan-favorite commentator isn't hanging up his microphone altogether.

Barkley announced on Tuesday that he's putting off retirement to honor his 10-year, $210 million contract with TNT, which lost broadcast rights in the NBA's controversial new TV deals.

“I love my TNT Sports family,” Barkley said in a statement released by Warner Bros. Discovery . “My #1 priority has been and always will be our people and keeping everyone together for as long as possible.”

“We have the most amazing people, and they are the best at what they do,” he continued. “I’m looking forward to continuing to work with them both on the shows we currently have and new ones we develop together in the future. This is the only place for me.”

A longtime league broadcast partner dating back to Barkley's early days in the media, TNT was left on the outside looking in at the NBA's new TV rights agreements with ESPN/ABC, Amazon and NBC.

While he'd previously levied harsh criticism at WBD CEO David Zaslav for the company's handling of negotiations with the NBA, the chances of Barkley ever bailing on TNT for a competitor were evidently overblown.

The 61-year-old is set to remain featured in his typical role for TNT's final season of NBA coverage in 2024-25, including starring for beloved studio show Inside the NBA. Barkley will then transition to a more all-encompassing position with the network going forward.

Related: Charles Barkley Reportedly Being Courted By Other Network For Future NBA Seasons