The greatest sports show ever has been saved.
Thanks to ESPN, TNT’s “Inside the NBA” will continue to air after this season.
With Warner Bros. Discovery losing the rights to air NBA games on TNT after this season and “Inside the NBA” up in the air, ESPN teamed up with TNT Sports to bring the iconic show to its airwaves.
This is the most the Inside Crew has run in 20 years 😠#SuspectChallenge pic.twitter.com/SSoWvtbz6F
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) November 20, 2024
Beginning in the 2025-26 NBA season, Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, and Shaquille O’Neal will appear on ESPN and ABC NBA programming. Better yet, ESPN won’t be messing with the show’s continuity, as TNT Sports will still be able to independently produce “Inside the NBA” at their Atlanta studios.
“‘Inside the NBA’ is universally recognized as one of the best and most culturally impactful shows in sports. We have long-admired the immensely talented team and are thrilled to add their chemistry and knowledge to our robust set of NBA studio offerings to super-serve NBA fans like never before. The addition of ‘Inside the NBA’ further solidifies ESPN as the preeminent destination for sports fans,” ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro said in a statement.
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How did ESPN land ‘Inside the NBA’?
The big question is, how did ESPN pull off the deal to air “Inside the NBA”?
According to The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand, Pitaro reached out to TNT Sports chairman Luis Silberwasser to offer him a blockbuster trade.
ESPN is reportedly exchanging 13 Big 12 football games and 15 Big 12 basketball games for “Inside the NBA.” No money was exchanged, and the agreement is for six years.
Thanks to this massive deal, NBA fans will still be graced with Ernie, Charles, Kenny, and Shaq for years to come.
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