The high-priced bidding war for national NBA broadcast rights beyond next season is entering the fourth quarter. And it appears the clock might be running out on TNT.
Warner Bros. Discovery, the company that owns TNT, is reportedly about to be outbid by ESPN/Disney, NBC Universal, and Amazon as contracts with the NBA’s broadcast partners are about to be finalized. Sports Business Journal was the first to report Wednesday that negotiations on the contracts, which would go into effect after next season, were being finalized this week.
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According to SBJ’s Tom Friend,
“Industry sources believe ESPN will ultimately pay $2.8 billion annually — up from a reported $2.6 billion — for the league’s “A” package, which includes the NBA Finals, a conference final, weekly primetime games, the WNBA and likely shared international rights. NBC’s proposed “B” package is believed to be now worth $2.6 billion annually — up from a reported $2.5 billion — and would probably include a “Basketball Night in America” on Sunday nights following the NFL season, a total of two primetime windows a week, conference semifinals and a conference final. Amazon’s deal is believed to be worth between $1.8 billion and $2 billion and would likely include the Emirates In-Season Tournament, the SoFi Play-In Tournament, first-round playoff games, the WNBA and international rights.”
After those written bids are ratified, Friend reports that the NBA “will take NBC’s contract to WBD to see if WBD CEO David Zaslav is able to match it in ‘total value.'”
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 15: (L-R) Wayne Gretzky, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Taylor Rooks, Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley, Luis Silberwasser, Chairman and CEO of TNT Sports and Micah Parsons attend the Warner Bros. Discovery…
Mike Coppola/Getty Images for Warner Bros. Discovery
If WBD can’t match NBC’s bid, the new arrangement could end a prolific run of the NBA on TNT, as well as its signature studio show “Inside the NBA.” Charles Barkley, a panelist on the show since 2000, spoke to SiriusXM Wednesday as if the show’s end was a foregone conclusion.
“There’s nothing I can say — I am worried about all the people I work with,” Barkley said. “I really feel bad, man. Because 200 people are probably going to lose their jobs internally if we lose the NBA.”
Ernie Johnson, 67, has been the lead studio host of “Inside the NBA” for 35 years. Sports Business Journal recently reported that Johnson “would stay with Turner and likely continue his role as lead studio host for the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, as well as do MLB play-by-play” in case TNT loses its NBA package.
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That’s a potential major road block for any of the NBA’s next broadcast-rights partners (NBC, ESPN or Amazon) re-hiring the “Inside the NBA” cast and crew after the 2024-25 season.
Meanwhile, Barkley told ESPN Cleveland that he has an opt-out in his contract in case Warner Bros. Discovery is outbid. Fans are already bracing for the 2024-25 season to be the final season of “Inside the NBA” as it stands today. Of the myriad consequences riding on the new contracts, the potential loss of the beloved studio show might be the least popular.
Inside the NBA debuted during the 1989-90 season when TNT first acquired the rights to broadcast NBA games. Johnson took over as host the following season. Kenny Smith joined full-time in 1998, followed by Barkley in 2000 and Shaquille O’Neal in 2011.
Barkley reportedly received a 10-year contract extension with Warner Bros. Discovery Sports in Oct. 2022. Barkley’s agreement coincided with contract renewals for Johnson, Smith, and O’Neal.
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