The NBA gave Warner Bros Discovery a chance to match Amazon’s terms in the most recent media rights negotiations. Yet, the league rejected the deal, leading to the suit filed at the New York State Supreme Court. TNT Sports’ future was opaque, which affected their iconic “Inside the NBA” show. After about five months, the NBA and TNT settled. What’s the future of “Inside the NBA” now?
The TNT-NBA Official Settlement
Warner Bros-TNT Sport sued the NBA League in July 2024. “Given the NBA’s unjustified rejection of our matching of a third-party offer, we have taken legal action to enforce our rights,” TNT Sports said in a statement. The NBA signed a new contract with Amazon with the intent of improving NBA fans’ viewing experience through streaming. This new contract begins during the 2025-26 season.
The TNT-NBA settlement became official on Monday. Thus, “Inside the NBA” will appear on ABC and ESPN. After four decades of relationship with the NBA, TNT Sports will part ways with the league after the 2024-25 season. Therefore, “Inside the NBA,” an iconic TNT show, will commence its 11-year contract with ESPN and ABC.
“Inside the NBA will appear on ESPN and ABC surrounding high-profile live events, including ESPN’s pregame, halftime, and postgame coverage of the NBA Finals on ABC, Conference Finals, NBA Playoffs, all ABC games after January 1, Christmas Day, opening week, the final week of the season and other marquee live events,” ESPN said.
As part of the deal, TNT Sports “will receive global rights outside of the United States for “Inside the NBA,” House of Highlights, and its parent company, Bleacher Report, per The Athletic. Also, “TNT Sports can use highlights and develop shows with no right fee. Finally, “TNT Sports is anticipated to be guaranteed $350 million for marketing support and advertising inventory in the first five years of the 11-year deal” as reported by The Athletic.
Update On ‘Inside the NBA‘ Crew
The iconic cast will remain intact despite Amazon’s interest in buying out the crew. The show started with Ernie Johnson in 1990; after eight years, former NBA player Kenny Smith joined, followed by Charles Barkley in 2000 and Shaquille O’Neal in 2011. Also, the chemistry and bond between the cast and NBA fans grew stronger over the years.
According to The Athletic, “O’Neal still needs to agree to an extension but has indicated his intention to remain on the program.” Barkley expressed his intention to retire during Game 4 of the NBA Finals, as the “Inside the NBA’s future was uncertain. However, the former Sixers star changed his mind and decided to continue to fulfill his $210 million contract, which spans 10 years.
‘Inside the NBA‘ Comes To ESPN
ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro wholeheartedly agreed to add the TNT Sports’ iconic show to the network. Pitaro expressed his respect for the show calling it “the best and most culturally impactful shows in sports.” He also said that ESPN “long-admired” the team behind the spectacular show.
“We are thrilled to add their chemistry and knowledge to our robust set of NBA studio offerings to super-serve NBA fans like never before. The addition of Inside the NBA further solidifies ESPN as the preeminent destination for sports fans.” Jimmy Pitaro said. Luis Silberwasser, the CEO and Chairman of TNT Sports agreed with Pitaro as he’s also excited to host the Inside the NBA show on ESPN and ABC.
“At TNT Sports, we take great pride in our Inside the NBA show and know its success is both a reflection of the iconic talent on set and the incredible people behind the scenes who consistently demonstrate the creativity and craft of our great team,” Siberwasser said.
Final Thoughts
NBA fans are excited to have their favorite show back. At some point, it seemed the much-loved quartet would break up at the end of the season, but in the end, both parties reached an agreement. This move showed that TNT Sports cares about their fans as they will continue to host “Inside the NBA” in their new home.
