• Loading stock data...
Thursday, July 31, 2025
Tuned In returns to NYC on September 16. Hear from the biggest names in sports media. Click here to get your spot

ESPN’s Pitaro Says ‘Inside the NBA’ Cast Will Stay Together—Barkley Included

“I have not heard any false notes. My understanding is we’re keeping the band together,” Pitaro told Front Office Sports during a press briefing.

Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

NEW YORK — Ever since ESPN made its historic trade for TNT Sports’s Inside the NBA, questions have lingered about whether one or more of the current cast will jump ship before next season.

But here’s some good news for fans: ESPN boss Jimmy Pitaro expects the Beatles of basketball to stay together when TNT licenses their iconic show to ESPN next season.

“I have not heard any false notes. My understanding is we’re keeping the band together,” Pitaro told Front Office Sports during a press briefing last week.

Pitaro would know. Back in November, he and TNT Sports CEO Luis Silberwasser pulled off one of the most memorable swaps in sports media history. 

With TNT losing its U.S. media rights after a 35-year relationship with the league, Inside the NBA was on the brink of cancellation. That’s when Pitaro swooped in with an offer: ESPN would trade an exclusive slate of Big 12 football and men’s basketball games to TNT in return for the licensing rights to the show. Silberwasser agreed—on the condition that TNT would retain full editorial control, the foursome would remain TNT employees, and the show would continue to be produced out of its long-time studio in Atlanta.

And so the deal was sealed, saving arguably the greatest sports studio show in history, with 21 Sports Emmys and counting. But the cast felt left out and bruised by essentially being traded just like the players they talk about. For months, there was will-they-or-won’t-they speculation about whether they’d show up on the set this fall, or hold out for some of that sweet Disney cash.  

That situation has settled down in recent months. Barkley is still under contract to TNT under a mammoth 10-year, $210 million extension signed in 2022. FOS broke the news that Shaquille O’Neal had signed a long-term extension worth $15 million a year. Both Kenny Smith and host Ernie Johnson are expected to return as well, say sources.

The unpredictable Barkley is the wild card, of course. After months of bashing his bosses at TNT parent Warner Bros. Discovery for bungling the NBA negotiations, he’s now daring ESPN to fire him before he ever appears on its air. Barkley has also publicly warned ESPN that he will say whatever he wants on the show. He continues to rip ESPN talents like Kendrick Perkins. And forget about running through the legendary ESPN “car wash” of studio shows like SportsCenter.

“I’m not going to change my personality. Ain’t nobody … they can’t fire me. I make too much money to get fired. So they can’t fire me. First of all, if they fire me, they got to pay me for seven years, and I’m going to quit way before then. But if they want to fire me, I would love for them to do that,” Barkley said on OutKick’s “Don’t @ Me with Dan Dakich.

“The only decision we’ve been making is how long I’m going to work. I’ve been going back and forth with TNT for the last two months whether I’m going to work two years or three years. But if I really wanted to, I could stay for seven years. There’s no chance of that happening. Zero. Zero. But I’m making a decision whether I’m going to stay two years or three years. But it’s more likely two years. But if they’re going to fire me, they’d have to pay me for seven [years], which they’re not going to do because I make too much money. So I’m not worried about getting fired. And nobody at ESPN is going to tell me what to say or do. Period.”

The Chuckster says a lot of things that he contradicts later on. For a guy who recoils at the thought of appearing on ESPN shows, he sure does a lot of interviews.

But Barkley is Barkley. ESPN has been lusting after him and his show for decades, constantly turning over the cast of NBA Countdown in a futile effort to compete with Inside the NBA. Even if Barkley & Co. give ESPN only two years on the air, Pitaro and ESPN president of content Burke Magnus would probably be thrilled. As for retiring in two years? We’ll see. As Bryan Curtis of The Ringer noted, Sir Charles has been threatening to retire for 10 years. Not to mention his brief flirtation with LIV Golf. In short, he’s one of the greatest negotiators in TV history.

The next few weeks will be bittersweet for TNT. The network will televise the eagerly awaited Knicks vs. Pacers Eastern Conference finals, but it will be the last playoff series televised by TNT in the United States, with NBA rights headed to ESPN, NBC Sports, and Amazon Prime Video next season. 
Barkley’s Inside the NBA will shoot live on-site from New York and Indianapolis. Kevin Harlan, Reggie Miller,  Stan Van Gundy, and Allie LaForce will call the series while Warriors star Draymond Green will contribute to studio coverage. 

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

LeBron James
exclusive

LeBron Boat Meeting in France With Jokić Agent Was About New League

The power trio was discussing a new global basketball league.
Jul 15, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) reacts to the crowd as they take on the Connecticut Sun in the first quarter at TD Garden.

WNBA Viewership Up Across All Networks Compared to 2024

Non-Fever games are up 37% compared to the full 2024 season.

Shannon Sharpe Out at ESPN Following Rape Suit Settlement

He’s been off-air since April, planning to return for the NFL season.
Marcus Morris

Marcus Morris Denies Fraud, Blames Mixup for $260K Casino Debt Arrest

Morris made roughly $107 million across 13 NBA seasons.

Featured Today

Las Vegas sign

College Sports Embracing Vegas After Years of Cold Shoulder

The Big Ten became the latest newcomer to Sin City.
2000, Jupiter, FL, USA; FILE PHOTO; Montreal Expos pitcher Hideki Irabu in action on the mound against the New York Mets at Roger Dean Stadium during Spring Training
July 28, 2025

Dead Sports Franchises Are Alive and Well on Twitter

The Expos, Sonics, and Whalers have active social media accounts.
Limited Hype
July 27, 2025

Sneaker Reselling Was Once Easy Money. Success Is Now Complicated

Vendors need to evolve what they’re selling and how they do it.
HAPPY GILMORE 2. BTS - (L to R) Adam Sandler as Happy Gilmore and Rory McIlroy as himself on the set of Happy Gilmore2.
July 26, 2025

‘Cool As Hell’: How ‘Happy Gilmore 2’ Hooked Golf’s Top Stars

The process was “cool as hell,” Adam Sandler tells FOS.

Sophie Cunningham Gets Podcast With Cowherd’s Volume, Continuing Breakout

Cunningham’s podcast deal is the latest in a breakout summer.
opinion
July 28, 2025

Why Rumors Nick Saban Could Leave ESPN for Coaching Aren’t Crazy

Saban has not fully ruled out a coaching comeback as rumors swirl.
July 29, 2025

NFL Insiders Delivered Crucial Updates Around Midtown Shooting

Top NFL reporters reached sources at the scene of the shooting.
Sponsored

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

Dealmaker Jeffrey Kaplan maps the evolution of sports as an asset class
Jan 20, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Sports personality Stephen A. Smith arrives before the CFP National Championship college football game between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Ohio State Buckeyes at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
opinion
July 24, 2025

Why Stephen A. Smith Could Succeed in Dwindling Late-Night TV Era

The face of “First Take” has shown interest in talk-show hosting.
exclusive
July 23, 2025

ESPN Locks in Bulk of Bill Belichick’s First UNC Season

The network’s ACC media rights deal will pay off this season.
Mar 29, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; View of a camera with a Fox Sports logo before the game between the Houston Astros and the New York Mets at Daikin Park.
exclusive
July 23, 2025

Parkins Joins Expanded ‘First Things First’ As FS1 Completes Transition

He’ll join Nick Wright, Chris Broussard, and Kevin Wildes.
Oklahoma City, OK - June 22, 2025 - Paycom Center: Iman Shumpert courtside for Hoop Streams during game seven of the 2025 NBA Finals.
July 22, 2025

ESPN’s Playoff Surprise: Spotlight Turns Shumpert Into Hot Prospect

After his impressive ESPN postseason coverage, Shumpert is a coveted free agent.