The new NBA media rights deal has been finalized and will be enforced from the 2025-26 season onwards. This makes the 2024-25 season the last one available on TNT with the iconic 'Inside The NBA' crew. Charles Barkley was expected to either retire or leave the network at the end of the 24-25 season, but Barkley has confirmed he will be staying at TNT even after they lose the NBA .
"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. I have to say… I’ve been impressed by the leadership team who is fighting hard and have been aggressive in adding new properties to TNT Sports, which I am very excited about. I appreciate them and all of my colleagues for their continued support, and most importantly our fans. I’m going to give my all as we keep them entertained for years to come."
Barkley added.
"I love my TNT Sports family. 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,"
This is a surprise, as everyone had penciled in Barkley as one of the biggest sports broadcast free agents in history. Charles has already revealed that the NBA's new media partners in ESPN, NBC, and Amazon have tried poaching him from TNT, so retaining Barkley is a massive win for TNT and Warner Bros.
Barkley is one of the most recognizable voices in sports media, beyond just basketball. Staying on as the face of TNT Sports even if they lose the NBA would provide tremendous value to the network, and it seems they managed to convince Barkley to put off retirement to return to the network.
Ernie Johnson is also expected to continue working for TNT, so it'll be interesting to see where Shaquille O'Neal and Kenny Smith will be headed if they're looking to stay with an organization that has media rights for the NBA.
Charles Barkley Said Everyone Knew TNT Was Losing Media Rights
Barkley has committed to staying with TNT for the long term but was clearly disappointed at how the network lost its NBA media rights without having much control over the situation. He opened up on the situation on Podcast P, calling the entire experience heartbreaking .
"I was telling somebody the other night, we were sitting around smoking cigars, and I said, yo, man, this has been really depressing for me because we kind of knew we were going to lose the thing. I mean, it was one of the worst-kept secrets in the history of civilization... It was really heartbreaking. It just really sucks, I can't believe we screwed it up. Next year is going to be a bittersweet year."
Inside The NBA with Barkley, Shaq, Kenny, and Ernie will have a season for the ages next year, as everyone will look to pay tribute to an iconic basketball show that has been around for over two decades.
Related: Knicks Owner James Dolan Calls Out NBA For $76 Billion Media Rights Deal In Open Letter
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