Tragically for hoops fans, the NBA’s impending new TV broadcast rights deal will not include Turner Sports (owned by Warner Bros. Discovery). That means TNT, TBS, and NBA TV will get shut out of the opportunity to showcase games as they happen.
The agreement, worth an expected $76 billion, will now include three broadcast partners. The current deal, which expires after the 2024-25 season, comprises agreements with Warner Bros. Discovery and Disney – the latter of whom owns ABC and ESPN.
In this new setup, NBC (owned by NBCUniversal) will return to the fold for the first time in decades, and Amazon Prime will continue its foray into live sports broadcasting by also claiming a chunk of NBA games.
Though it’s an exciting time for NBA owners’ and players’ bottom lines, it is ultimately a bittersweet moment. TNT’s must-watch “Inside The NBA,” an incredible pre-, mid- and post-game show which has won 19 Sports Emmys while far outclassing ESPN and ABC’s broadcast model, will no longer get to be sandwiched around games.
On that program, Hall of Famers Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal are joined by two-time NBA champion Kenny “The Jet” Smith and longtime Turner staple Ernie Johnson.
Read More: Charles Barkley Calls Out NBA Over New Media Rights Deal
The league’s latest broadcast partners recruited Barkley after news broke of the fresh NBA media rights agreement. But Barkley intends to stay loyal to TNT and has re-upped with Turner Sports, even if doing so could cost him in the neighborhood of eight figures. It’s a risky move, especially considering that, even if “Inside The NBA” sticks around, it will no longer be attached to actual game broadcasts, which could result in a major ratings nosedive.
Read More: Charles Barkley Ends Speculation Around Possible TNT Exit
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During a recent appearance on “The Dan Le Batard Show,” Barkley told the longtime broadcaster just how much money he wound up turning down to stay with the only post-playing career home he’s ever known.
How much did Charles Barkley lose by returning to TNT?
“A minimum of $100 million. A minimum.”
Barkley explains why he chose to return to Turner Sports as a broadcasting free agent.
“The number-one thing for me is that my people at Turner get to keep their jobs another year.” pic.twitter.com/lGLZgg4nFZ
— Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz (@LeBatardShow) August 13, 2024
“The No. 1 thing for me is, my people at Turner get to keep their jobs for at least another year. That’s all I was concerned with,” Barkley explained of his decision making.
When Le Batard asked Barkley what the exact sum was that Barkley rejected to continue his career with Turner Sports, Barkley supplied a bonkers figure.
“A minimum of $100 million [was left on the table],” Barkley revealed. “Yeah 100 percent it was a great feeling [to be courted by several other companies] and I want to thank all those networks for reaching out to me. It was really humbling and cool to be honest with you, but… even though they were throwing crazy numbers… but [as] long as I got my people safe at TNT man, I feel really good. Like I say, they’re going to pay me to go and talk about nothing, so I can’t look a gift horse in the mouth… I probably would have had to do [an] honest day’s work if I had gone to one of those other networks!”
An 11-time All-NBA honoree and All-Star, as well as a member of the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team, the 6-foot-6 power forward posted averages of 22.1 points on 54.1 percent shooting, 11.7 rebounds, and 3.9 assists across his 1,073 regular season games with the Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns, and Houston Rockets. He won the league’s MVP honor in 1993 with Phoenix, and advanced to his first and only NBA Finals berth that year.
Read More: TNT Plans Future With Charles Barkley ‘With or Without the NBA’
