‘Inside the NBA’ continues on ABC and ESPN as part of TNT-NBA settlement: sources

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‘Inside the NBA’ continues on ABC and ESPN as part of TNT-NBA settlement: sources

“Inside the NBA,” TNT’s longtime basketball studio show, will appear on ABC and ESPN while the NBA and Warner Bros. Discovery, the parent company of TNT Sports, has settled its months-long lawsuit, sources briefed on the deal say.

“Inside the NBA” panelists Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, Ernie Johnson and Kenny Smith will remain on the show, the sources said. O’Neal has yet to agree to an extension, but has indicated he plans to stay in the program, according to one of the sources.

TNT Sports will get global rights outside the United States to “Inside the NBA,” House of Highlights and parent company Bleacher Report, the sources said. TNT has a full slate of regular season and playoff games outside the US

This is the first time that Bleacher Report and House of Highlights have global rights. According to the sources, TNT Sports can deploy highlights and develop shows at no extra cost.

TNT, along with ESPN, will remain the home of the NBA this season. TNT will also continue to produce “Inside the NBA” after it changes networks, the sources said.

The networks and the NBA declined comment on the settlement.

TNT Sports sued the NBA in late July after the league rejected its offer to meet the terms of Amazon Prime Video’s offer. Less than a week before the lawsuit was filed, the league announced its 11-year, $77 billion deal with ESPN, NBC and Amazon Prime Video, starting in the 2025-2026 season.

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Because there are no rights fees, TNT Sports is expected to be guaranteed $350 million for marketing support and advertising inventory over the first five years of the 11-year deal, according to sources briefed on the deal.

TNT’s nine-year contract, which expires after the current NBA season, includes backend rights, which from TNT’s perspective allowed it to say it wanted to keep the NBA and take Amazon’s deal. When the agreements were signed a decade ago, streaming was on the horizon but not part of the deals. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver had long stated his intention to bring in a streamer for a third package.

Amid the uncertain future for NBA coverage on TNT, Barkley said on NBA TV after Game 4 of the NBA Finals in mid-June that he would retire after the 2024-2025 season. Barkley said he had spoken to other networks and planned to stay with TNT until his retirement.

But less than two months later, TNT and Barkley announced that the Hall of Famer would remain with TNT Sports even after losing the NBA deal.

Barkley, 61, will continue on his 10-year, $210 million contract and is in the third season of the deal. He joined ‘Inside the NBA’ in 2000 after a 16-year NBA career. Since coming to the show, he has worked with Johnson and Smith. O’Neal joined in 2011 and wrapped up one of the most beloved sports studio shows.

TNT Sports could develop other shows and projects around Barkley, O’Neal, Smith and Johnson after “Inside the NBA” moves to ABC and ESPN, the sources said.