• Loading stock data...
Friday, April 18, 2025

With Ernie Johnson Committed to TNT, Charles Barkley Says ‘Inside the NBA’ Future Is Uncertain

  • Barkley would become a free agent if TNT loses its NBA rights—and he says that could happen as soon as today.
  • He questions whether ‘Inside the NBA’ would work elsewhere without Johnson, who is expected to stay at TNT.
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Charles Barkley appeared on The Dan Patrick Show on Friday, discussing the “very stressful” situation at his workplace, TNT, as the network negotiates to retain NBA media rights. Barkley said he hopes TNT’s parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, re-signs the NBA—and thinks the situation could be resolved, one way or another, at some point Friday.

In addition to ESPN and TNT, the NBA is said to be considering bids from Amazon and NBC, with NBC prepared to outbid Barkley’s current boss. The entire Inside the NBA crew—Barkley, Ernie Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kenny Smith—signed contract extensions in 2022, but Barkley added a clause in his deal that would make him a free agent if TNT loses its NBA rights.

“I want to make it clear; I love TNT,” Barkley told Patrick on Friday. “I love everybody at TNT, and they’ve been great for me. But I don’t want to be in limbo if we lose the NBA. That wouldn’t be fair to me.”

Johnson, meanwhile, is expected to stay at TNT no matter what happens. That leaves the beloved Inside the NBA in limbo. When Patrick suggested that perhaps the show could move to another broadcaster with a new host, Barkley wasn’t so sure. “Our show won’t be the same without Ernie. Ernie is the most important person on our show,” Barkley said.

Johnson is more tied to Turner than the NBA, Barkley noted, because he also handles baseball coverage. But if the network were to lose the NBA, Barkley said, “Us other three are screwed, basically. Not necessarily screwed, but we won’t have a job.” Barkley, Smith, and Johnson also contribute to March Madness coverage for CBS and Turner.

Barkley said the ongoing NBA negotiations are more “nerve-racking” than past ones because the NBA didn’t sign with TNT during its exclusive negotiating window and opened up instead to outside bidders. In that open market, The Wall Street Journal reported that NBC’s parent, Comcast, would pay $2.5 billion per year for NBA rights, which is more than double the amount TNT currently pays at $1.2 billion annually.

While Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav has said that TNT doesn’t “have to have the NBA,” Barkley sang another tune. “We’ve merged three times in the last five years and we’ve fired hundreds of people. If we lose the NBA, I can’t imagine how bad it’s gonna be at Turner,” he said.

TNT declined Front Office Sports’ requests for comment.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Kendrick Lamar

Drake Lawsuit Says Kendrick Lamar Defamed Him At Super Bowl

Drake says taking out the word “pedophile” didn’t erase the defamation.
exclusive

Shannon Sharpe Eyes $100M+ Podcast Deal As Volume Contract Expires

Sharpe’s podcasts have exploded in popularity over the last several years.
Masters

Why The Masters Quietly Cracked Down on Ticket Resellers

Insiders expect big changes are coming to ticketing at Augusta National.

High-Priced Suns Have a Frustrated Owner, Few Good Options

Phoenix missed the playoffs with an NBA-high $210 million payroll.

Featured Today

exclusive

Inside Nico Iamaleava’s Ugly Breakup With Tennessee

Iamaleava’s representatives claim to FOS he didn’t push for more NIL money.
Jul 29, 2024; Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France; France center Dominique Malonga (14) and guard Marine Johannes (23) celebrate after defeating Canada during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Stade Pierre-Mauroy
April 13, 2025

‘Has to Change’: The WNBA’s International Player Problem

As more global stars arrive, the “prioritization” rule is causing tension.
Yamine Lamal Barcelona
April 12, 2025

Lamine Yamal: The Pressure and Price of Barcelona’s Young Prodigy

Lamine Yamal is a teenage superstar. Can Barcelona afford him?
The pin flag on the second green flaps in the wind during the second round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.
April 7, 2025

Inside The Masters: Traditions, Restrictions, and Gnomes

How the most exclusive major employs its own strict rules and operations.
Netflix

Netflix Rises While Markets Slide—Thanks in Part to Live Sports

The streaming giant beats financial expectations as its sports presence grows.
April 15, 2025

WNBA Draft Draws 1.25M Viewers, Second-Best Behind 2.45M Last Year

Paige Bueckers was the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft.
Lee Corso
April 17, 2025

Lee Corso Will Retire From ESPN at 90

The broadcaster is hanging up his headgear in August.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

This week, Two-time Super Bowl Champion and CBS NFL analyst Logan Ryan joins us to talk the business of sports on our third installment of Portfolio Players.
April 15, 2025

NBA Regular-Season Ratings Dip 2%, In Line With the NFL

The NFL also saw a 2% viewership decline last season.
April 14, 2025

Masters Final Round Draws 12.7M Viewers, Golf’s Best Since 2018

The final round was the most-watched golf event in seven years.
April 14, 2025

NBA Play-In Tourney Gets Warriors Boost Before Move to Streaming

The Play-In Tournament will stream on Amazon Prime Video starting next season.
April 14, 2025

NHL Playoffs Face Ratings Risks With Canadian Focus, Original Six Absence

The field includes no U.S. Original Six teams and a heavy Canadian presence.