Charles Barkley claims his wandering eye is stopping—for now.
The Hall of Fame basketball player turned broadcaster said on his Steam Room podcast with Ernie Johnson that he is sticking with TNT Sports and won’t accept an offer to join NBC’s NBA coverage ahead of next season, and is turning down inquiries with other league partners.
“I’m informing NBC that I will not accept their offer,” Barkley said. “I’m gonna cancel future meetings with Amazon. … My heart is always and will be at Turner Sports.”
Barkley has been one of the most sought-after broadcasters for his work on Inside the NBA alongside Johnson and fellow former players Kenny Smith and Shaquille O’Neal. The show is well-liked by viewers, mainly due to the hosts’ sense of humor and chemistry, while also being tough on players, coaches, and executives.
In recent years, Barkley has flip-flopped on his broadcast career more than a politician. At one point he said he was retiring at the end of this current season when TNT’s agreement with the NBA comes to an end. Shortly after, he un-retired. Barkley signed a 10-year, $210 million contract extension with TNT in 2022, but has said the contract has an opt-out if the network loses the NBA rights, which has allowed him to meet with other networks.
Throughout the “will he or won’t he” saga, Barkley also discussed having his production company, Round Mound Media, license Inside the NBA to keep it on the air. Every week brought a different answer from one of TV’s biggest public negotiators.
In November, ESPN agreed to a deal with TNT Sports to license Inside the NBA on its airwaves next season, but Barkley indicated on his podcast the agreement hasn’t been finalized in terms of his personal workload.
“The only thing I’m waiting on is between TNT and ESPN,” Barkley said on The Steam Room podcast released Friday. “I’m hoping this thing comes together and I can stay with TNT and ESPN, but as I’ve said it’s all going to be dictated on my work only. I’m not going to work more as I get older. And I’m going to sit down with ESPN and TNT more because I just need to know if I’m going to continue working. That’s my only decision going forward, how much I’m going to work.”
After the reported licensing deal was agreed to, Front Office Sports reported that ESPN was exploring ways to incorporate Barkley into other parts of the network, including alternate broadcasts. Barkley didn’t dismiss the idea, but he said he plans to bring whatever workload the two networks decide on to some of his advisers, which include Pardon the Interruption cohosts Michael Wilbon and Tony Kornheiser, to gauge the feasibility of it.
“I wouldn’t feel comfortable leaving [TNT],” Barkley said. “Because 25 years is a long time.”
While Barkley’s words reflect that he continues to stay put, his actions show he’s always willing to listen.
