Charles Barkley and Inside the NBA Crew to Get Just 30 Minutes on ESPN

Charles Barkley, Shaquille O'Neal, Kenny Smith, and Ernie Johnson, will continue with Inside the NBA through ESPN.

Charles Barkley and Inside the NBA Crew to Get Just 30 Minutes on ESPN

Charles Barkley and Inside the NBA to get just 30 minutes on ESPN (Image via FirstSportz)

🔍 Explore this post with:

ChatGPTPerplexityGrok AIGoogle AI

Charles Barkley and his Inside the NBA crew are set to continue their show through ESPN. The deal between TNT and the Walt Disney Company will see the iconic quartet work with their new colleagues as they aim to continue entertaining fans.

The show will continue to be produced from TNT’s Studio J in Atlanta, but will be broadcast on ESPN. This means there is a chance that the sports network has some say in the creative direction the show takes. On the other hand, there are rumors that the network would leave the show untouched and give Barkley and his colleagues a free rein. Despite that, there are some concerns over how the show will come out.

Some say that ESPN’s overuse of commercials could ruin the show. Others say the network would meddle too much, which could end up causing friction between the two sides. The former league MVP has made it clear that he would not accept any such problems and has threatened to quit if ESPN gets too intrusive.

The network and TNT are on the hook for nearly $140 million, which should make it difficult for ESPN to have its way. On top of that, there is the concern of fan backlash. But Charles Barkley first wants to ensure that the show goes on as if nothing changed. If their banter and chemistry are to continue per usual, there should not be anything else impeding them.

On top of these concerns is when SportsMediaWatch’s Jon Lewis reported that Inside the NBA will first start with a 30-minute run. That is down from the usual 50-minute stretch they used to enjoy on TNT.

ESPN has a headache to provide Charles Barkley and crew a proper time slot

Inside the NBA usually runs during and after NBA games. That was fine at TNT, but at ESPN, they already had other shows scheduled. One of those shows is SportsCenter, which Scott Van Pelt helms. ESPN will start its 2025-26 season on October 22nd with a doubleheader. After the games end, Inside the NBA is set to start at 12:05 and run until 12:35 AM ET. Then, Van Pelt takes over on SportsCenter.

There is no clarity on whether this will be the theme going forward, as ESPN has yet to release its full schedule for the show. It seems Charles Barkley and his crew are yet to get a full rundown on when they will work.

The quartet typically speaks to their heart’s content when they get the full 50 minutes. Therefore, it will be interesting to see how they manage this shorter timeframe. When they ran a pilot run, Barkley was not happy with the result.

Charles Barkley and Inside the NBA crew might have to show patience with ESPN

This reduced run time, as well as the unconfirmed schedules, are nightmares for anyone who has been following a particular pattern over the years.

Inside the NBA crew to work with ESPN next season
Inside the NBA crew to work with ESPN next season (Image via Open Source/X)

Charles Barkley has been with Inside the NBA for more than 2 decades, and will likely find the changes difficult to adjust. He, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kenny Smith usually have other engagements scheduled around their appearance on Inside the NBA.

They even travel to and from Atlanta based on this schedule. It seems they have to be patient with ESPN, as they look to accommodate them in between the plethora of shows that have been running for years.

With the network facing competition from NBC and Prime Video, they are hoping to ensure they have everything to garner the most ratings. Barkley and his crew can contribute to that goal, but for that to happen, they will need more time and space to play with.

Also Read: