The saga surrounding the renegotiation of TV rights will undoubtedly end soon, and the NBA seems to be moving towards a new trio of broadcasters. Negotiations are currently being concluded with ESPN/ABC, Amazon and NBC. TNT could take the matter to court, to try to match NBC's offer, but everything suggests that it is the latter which will recover the second lot.
These negotiations have several consequences, such as a revaluation of rights and therefore an increase in the “salary cap”. But also undoubtedly the disappearance of one of the most iconic shows, “Inside The NBA”.
On the air for more than twenty years, Charles Barkley has just winning an Emmy Award for his work on the “show”which could therefore end at the end of the 2024/25 season, with the passage of the NBA to NBC.
“Morale is, plain and simple, bad. I feel so bad for the people I work with,” confides Charles Barkley. “These people have families and I feel really bad for them right now. These people I work for have clearly ruined everything, and we have no idea what's going to happen. I do not feel good. I'm not going to lie, especially when they said yesterday that we bought college football. I was like, damn, they could have used that money to buy the NBA. »
A family story
Alongside Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O'Neal and Kenny Smith created an atmosphere mixing seriousness and humor. Highly paid for his analyzes and his humor, “Chuck” is not worried about his personal situation, especially since he can break his contract to join another channel if he wishes.
” I'm mad. I've been spending a lot of time with the team lately. I've actually been with these guys for so long,” thus regrets the former player. “Ernie’s been here 32 years, Kenny’s been here 27 years, I’ve been here 24 years, but think about it. Some of these people I work with brought their newborns to the set, they brought them when they were kids, then when they were in high school and when they graduated from college. That's how long it's been. I'm upset for these people, they're family to be honest with you. And I feel bad for them. »
While he has shares in a production company, “Fine Line Productions”, Charles Barkley explains that he is even thinking about the idea of recreating the show independently, so that it can be broadcast elsewhere.
The problem is that presenter Ernie Johnson wouldn't want to leave TNT, even if the channel loses the NBA…
