As ESPN basks in the glow of scoring Inside the NBA, there have been “early discussions” about using TNT Sports’ Charles Barkley & Co. on alternative telecasts, sources tell Front Office Sports.
Using Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny “The Jet” Smith, and Ernie Johnson on alt-casts would align with ESPN’s strategy of offering viewers alternate versions of major games or events across its fleet of channels and streaming options.
On Dec. 9, ESPN will telecast an animated, Simpsons-inspired version of Monday Night Football with Simpsons Funday Football. ESPN and parent company Disney previously collaborated on a Toy Story Funday Football kids-cast last fall.
A source outside ESPN, however, says alt-casts are not a possibility given the terms of the deal, which are specific to Inside the NBA appearing on ABC/ESPN. Given the commentators’ status as TNT employees, any additional appearances by Inside cast members would be on WBD/TNT platforms, the source said.
Ultimately, it’s well known that Sir Charles makes up his own rules. While the rest of the cast kept quiet this summer, Barkley gave repeated interviews on the state of WBD-NBA negotiations and his fear that TNT Sports would lose rights to air games.
Peyton and Eli Manning’s ManningCast of MNF on ESPN2 has become the country’s most popular alt-cast. Pat McAfee has offered his own freewheeling version of ESPN’s biggest college football telecasts on CFB Primetime with The Pat McAfee Show. ESPN has “Megacast” its coverage of the College Football Playoff’s national championship game since 2014. This January, for example, ESPN offered 11 different versions of Michigan vs. Washington, including McAfee’s Field Pass.
Under the licensing deal forged between ESPN and the NBA, Barkley, O’Neal, Smith, and Johnson remain TNT employees. TNT retains complete creative control of the show—which will continue to film in Atlanta.
And no, Stephen A. Smith will not be joining the cast of Inside the NBA, the winner of 21 Sports Emmy Awards, when the show moves to ESPN/ABC starting with the 2025–2026 season. If there were any doubts, ESPN president of content Burke Magnus laid them to rest during an appearance on the SI Media With Jimmy Traina podcast.
“Why would we take something so successful and so iconic, bring it over and then be like, ‘We know better, we’re gonna change it’?” he asked.
Added Magnus: “We don’t want to change it. We don’t want to interject new talent into it. We don’t want to really do anything to it.”
So be it, Burke. But I think alt-casts could eventually provide an opportunity for ESPN to pair Smith and Michael Wilbon, its two leading NBA voices, with Barkley, O’Neal, Smith, and Johnson.
Crossover Appeal
There’s precedent. Don’t forget, ESPN and TNT teamed up for an innovative television “crossover” during their coverage of the NBA’s In-Season Tournament semifinals in December. As part of their collaboration, the casts of both Inside the NBA and NBA Countdown took turns appearing on each other’s pregame shows for extended segments. Barkley, a big football fan, has already appeared on the ManningCast as a guest. During that episode, Sir Charles recalled lasting one day as a high school football player. “I don’t want to get hit every play,” he cracked.
Both Smith and Wilbon have praised ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro’s masterstroke to bring Inside the NBA to their airwaves—even if it relegates their own NBA Countdown to second-string status.
“To know that these brothers are going to stay together, and continue to do the NBA for years to come, I can’t be more happy for them,” said Smith, who’s in the middle of multimillion contract negotiations with his bosses in Bristol. “Because I know that it created a lot of chaos once TNT lost its deal with the NBA … it’s the right thing.”
Wilbon told his Pardon the Interruption cohost Tony Kornheiser he’s thrilled TNT’s award-winning show is moving to ESPN.
“Whoever came up with that, good. There’s enough real estate out there. ESPN’s going to have several nights of games, so it’s not gonna threaten Countdown. Good!” said Wilbon, who’s co-written two books about Barkley.
Would TNT and the Inside the NBA cast want to participate in alt-casts? I bet they would. Ask any of the celebrity guests who’ve appeared on Omaha Productions’ ManningCast. These freewheeling, bros-talking-in-a-bar shows are fun for talents conditioned to more rigid TV productions.
I’ll make this my first prediction for 2025: ESPN and TNT will find a way to put Smith and Barkley on the air together. An alt-cast is the perfect way to do it.
