The NBA World Is Thrilled “Inside the NBA” Will Return on ESPN

ByJon Alba
Charles Barkley returns on Inside the NBA

The legal dispute between the NBA and Warner Bros. Discovery could have had major financial implications for both companies, but more paramount on the minds of basketball fans was the future of their beloved Inside the NBA.

The iconic TNT studio show has been on the air since 1990 but became an institution of the sport when Turner Sports expanded its NBA coverage more than two decades ago. While a cast of characters has cycled in and out over the years, its core crew of Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, and Shaq has cemented the Emmy Award-winning program as one of the greatest studio programs in sports history.

WBD is set to lose its NBA rights, with the NBA agreeing to record broadcasting rights deals with ESPN, Amazon, and NBC beginning next season. That put the future of Inside the NBA in abeyance with pending legal battles over whether or not WBD could retain certain NBA rights. Thankfully for fans around the country, the show isn’t going anywhere.

The league and WBD announced Sunday they had dropped all pending legal disputes, and Inside the NBA will live on as a WBD-produced broadcast airing on ABC and ESPN.

“Together these agreements ensure fans will continue to enjoy TNT’s Inside the NBA and create tremendous value for our entire portfolio as we accelerate the growth of TNT Sports, Bleacher Report, House of Highlights and our global sports business,” said David Zaslav, CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery in a release. “We are pleased to partner with the NBA and Disney/ESPN, and to have solidified long-term rights and revenue for WBD.”

“The opportunity to continue the iconic and Emmy Award-winning Inside the NBA is a huge win for basketball fans everywhere,” said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. “We look forward to building on our longstanding partnership with TNT Sports and working together to promote NBA content across key WBD and NBA platforms.”

While Inside the NBA will not air as frequently as it does on TNT, it provides a solution that’s serviceable for all parties. ESPN and ABC will gain access to some of TV’s best basketball minds, while WBD will maintain production over the project. It is expected all of the Inside cast will return, though Sports Illustrated reports Shaq is not under contract as of this moment.

The possibility of a marriage between the two sides had been floated all throughout the end of last season and into the offseason. Of course, Barkley commented on it in the only way he knows how to.

While this is seemingly the best outcome possible for all involved, it will be unprecedented seas to navigate. ESPN has become an institution in its own right for NBA coverage, and has liberties to inject some of its own personalities into the mix. Not everyone would be a fan of that, however.

WBD also announced in a release it will broadcast a slate of Big 12 college football games and men’s basketball games starting next season, while providing more details on its expanded digital presence with the NBA.

Jon Alba
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