“Owners choose money over fans,” Charles Barkley sends SCATHING message to NBA after Amazon’s $1.8 billion bid ends legendary show
The NBA's current deal with TNT runs through next season.
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Charles Barkley
The NBA had announced that TNT failed to match Amazon Prime’s offer for the new media rights deal, making it likely that TNT will no longer broadcast NBA games after next season. This decision has been met with disappointment from fans and analysts alike, including Charles Barkley, who has been a host on TNT’s “Inside the NBA” show since 2000.
Charles Barkley released a statement on Friday, expressing his sadness and frustration with the NBA’s decision. He believes that the league prioritized money over fans and that TNT never had a chance to retain the rights.
Clearly the NBA has wanted to break up with us from the beginning. I'm not sure TNT ever had a chance. TNT matched the money, but the league knows Amazon and these tech companies are the only ones willing to pay for the rights when they double in the future. The NBA didn't want to piss them off. It's a sad day when owners and commissioners choose money over the fans. It just sucks.Charles Barkley said in the statement
Although TNT’s parent company, Warner Brothers, has threatened to take legal action, it seems unlikely that the company will be able to alter the deal. The NBA’s current deal with TNT runs through next season, meaning that the network will continue to show games through the 2025 playoffs.
The future of “Inside the NBA” is uncertain, with Barkley suggesting that his production company could take over the show. However, he has also stated that he plans to retire after next season. Fans will have to wait and see what happens next, but for now, it seems that TNT’s 35-year run as an NBA broadcaster is coming to an end.
The end of an era as Charles Barkley and ‘Inside the NBA’ faces uncertain future amid NBA media rights shake up
The iconic sports studio show “Inside the NBA” is facing an uncertain future after the NBA’s new media rights deal left TNT out of the picture. The show, featuring Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kenny Smith, has been a staple of NBA coverage for decades, creating viral moments and driving discourse around the league.
While there is speculation that the show could be recreated elsewhere, with Barkley potentially becoming a media-free agent, complications arise from the fact that only Barkley has an out clause in his contract. This makes it difficult to reunite the entire cast in their current form. Barkley, however, is poised to be a major beneficiary of the new media rights deal, with reports suggesting he could command a salary of $20 million per year.
As the NBA prepares for a massive cash infusion, it remains to be seen how the changes will impact the product and its fans. The final season of “Inside the NBA” on TNT is likely to be unforgettable, with the cast potentially being less filtered than ever before. Fans can only hope that this isn’t the last they’ve seen of Barkley and friends and that the show’s legacy will live on in some form.
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Ubong Archibong
(1284 Articles Published)