The groundbreaking ‘Inside the NBA’ trade makes ESPN and boss Jimmy Pitaro big

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The groundbreaking ‘Inside the NBA’ trade makes ESPN and boss Jimmy Pitaro big

One of the hallmarks of ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro’s era is that he is not tied to the way things have been done at the network in the past. The idea that Bristol, ESPN’s birthplace, should be the network’s epicenter is now an idea of the past. When Pitaro takes aim at the biggest names on his broadcast, he doesn’t care who produces them or where they come from, just that they’re on ESPN’s platforms.

Pitaro enlisted Peyton Manning with a work-from-home arrangement in Denver for the “Manningcast” alternate broadcasts for “Monday Night Football.” He lured Fox’s Joe Buck and Troy Aikman to MNF with the promise of millions and staying together. Pitaro gave Pat McAfee control of his show from Indianapolis, while ESPN, now in its mid-40s, got a direct line to the young demographic it craves.

With Amazon Prime Video and NBC Sports entering the NBA, Pitaro wanted to finally solve the problem of ESPN’s “NBA Countdown” not being as good as rival TNT Sports’ iconic “Inside the NBA.” He wanted Charles Barkley, the famous “Inside” analyst, on ESPN’s airwaves.

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According to sources briefed on the talks, Pitaro called Luis Silberwasser, his counterpart at TNT Sports, three weeks ago and essentially told him: We can solve each other’s problems.

TNT had disputed its inability to maintain NBA games by suing the league and demanding Prime Video’s package. That was never going to happen, so the league and TNT Sports’ parent company went the right way. Still, ‘Inside the NBA’ needed a permanent home base around the league games. This is where Pitaro intervened.

In one of the most significant transactions in sports media history, officially announced Monday, Pitaro has landed Barkley and his friends in exchange for 13 Big 12 football games and 15 Big 12 basketball games. According to sources briefed on the deal, no money will be exchanged between the parties. The agreement is valid for six seasons.

TNT Sports needs the inventory, although the games won’t be the conference’s top picks. TNT Sports hasn’t folded since losing to the NBA. In addition to maintaining a relationship with the league that will bring in hundreds of millions in profits, the league also has College Football Playoff first-round games, with the opportunity to acquire more licenses from ESPN. It also added tennis’ French Open, Big East hoops and NASCAR.

Starting next year, Barkley and studio host Ernie Johnson Jr. Leading ESPN’s NBA big-game coverage for opening night, Christmas Day, the ABC regular-season games (primarily on Saturdays after college football) and during the playoffs and NBA Finals. . When ABC doesn’t have room for the postgame, it shifts to ESPN. ESPN’s “NBA Countdown” moves to No. 2 in the order.

“Inside the NBA” will originate from TNT’s Atlanta studios with TNT producers. There’s no reason to believe it will sound any different.

Although fellow analyst Shaquille O’Neal still needs a new contract, he has indicated to top decision makers that he wants to stay with the band. Analyst Kenny Smith, with no other options, isn’t going anywhere. Barkley and Johnson are under contract.

It’s a win for everyone, except maybe Amazon Prime Video and NBC, the new kids on the TV block next season. They wanted Barkley and company, but Pitaro defeated them by going to Silberwasser.

ESPN’s Jimmy Pitaro, at the 2023 ESPYs. (Kirby Lee / USA Today)

After losing the NBA to Amazon and NBC, TNT Sports’ David Zaslav invoked matching rights on the Prime Video deal. There was no real expectation that TNT would bring games back, but it was a pain in the Naismith for the NBA.

A lawsuit could have led to a discovery process that the NBA probably didn’t want to go through. Instead, TNT Sports will continue to do business with the league with gaming rights in places like Norway and Poland and the ability to use House of Highlights as a firehose for the league’s best matches around the world.

The company expects to make hundreds of millions from the deal — $70 million a year over the first five seasons, according to sources briefed on the contract — and can say it will still be part of the NBA business for the next 11 years. So give TNT Sports a “W” after taking the big “L” of losing the gaming rights in the United States.

Pitaro needed this win for his NBA coverage. Next year, NBC will start strong with Mike Tirico and Noah Eagle as play-bys. Amazon has already reached an agreement with the best basketball player, Ian Eagle.

ESPN fumbled after the poor decision to fire Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson from the NBA’s best team and replace them with waiting coaches Doc Rivers and JJ Redick. Now it remains to be seen whether it will add Richard Jefferson, Jay Bilas or Tim Legler or stay with Mike Breen and Doris Burke. Pitaro still needs more repairs.

ESPN’s “Countdown” has forever been a misleading show, never reaching the end. While Stephen A. Smith may still be the network’s biggest star, a pregame show centering on his participation in last year’s New York Knicks playoff game is something the “Inside the NBA” crew pulled off with flair would skew.

Smith can’t lead every show, which is a mistake for the network and him if they try to program that way. But ESPN producers have failed to ever counter “Inside the NBA.” This led to Pitaro strengthening himself from the outside. This is now the Pitaro playbook.

He hounded Manning forever before handing him the keys to outsource to Omaha Productions and work from the remote office of his choice. McAfee’s show may not work on linear TV, but it’s socially relevant and took a leap to another level this season on “College GameDay.” Buck and Aikman are largely recognized as the best broadcasting duo in the NFL.

Now Pitaro has brought in Charles, Ernie, Shaq and Kenny. They’re first-name-only guys in the NBA. TNT’s iconic show remains the same, just on a different channel. Since that network is ESPN, Pitaro won.