"Inside the NBA before Finals now" - Fans elated as Warner Brothers settles legal dispute allowing Charles Barkley and co.'s show to move to ESPN
After several months of uncertainty about the future of Inside the NBA, it appears that the current show is headed to ESPN and ABC starting from the 2025-26 season. According to a report in The Wall Street Journal, TNT will license Inside the NBA to air on ESPN and ABC. This development comes after a four-month legal battle between Warner Bros. and Discovery, which was finally settled.
Fans were extremely elated by this announcement, welcoming the return of the show, which has been running on TNT since the 1989-90 season.
"WHAT? WE CAN GET INSIDE THE NBA BEFORE FINALS GAMES NOW???? BANGGGGGGG" - Reacted one fan
"INSIDE THE NBA IS STAYING LETS GOOOOO" - Reacted another fan
"SMILING THROUGH IT ALL I CANT BELIEVE THIS IS MY LIFEEEE" - Replied another fan
Other fans however were quick to point out that star panellist Charles Barkley has often spoken about not wanting to work for ESPN and host Ernie Johnson has made his loyalty to TNT very clear.
"Didn’t Barkley say he wouldn’t work for anyone else or something" - Pointed out one fan
"Without Ernie tho… so no." - Reacted another fan, even though Johnson's future is not decided yet
"Chuck has said for years he not working for ESPN" - Echoed another fan
NBA and Warner Brothers. Discovery's legal battle explained
Warner Bros. Discovery's (WBD) legal standoff with the NBA has been concluded, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal. On Wednesday, WBD settled a lawsuit filed after the NBA announced a $77 billion broadcasting package with ESPN, NBC, and Amazon.
This deal means that TNT will no longer broadcast NBA games for the first time since 1989. However, the biggest concern was the future of "Inside the NBA," which has been resolved. Charles Barkley signed a 10-year, $200 million contract with TNT in 2022 and will continue to work with the company.
Kenny Smith, Shaquille O'Neal, and Ernie Johnson will also continue working with TNT on various commitments. WBD had alleged that the NBA didn't give it a fair chance to match Amazon's offer for the broadcasting package.
The new broadcasting deals will see The Walt Disney Company (ESPN) pay $2.6 billion per year, NBCUniversal pay $2.45 billion per year, and Amazon pay $1.8 billion per year.