The final episode of Inside the NBA barely finished airing on TNT Sports before doomsayers like Bill Simmons were predicting ESPN will ruin the show. But I’m hearing from sources that ESPN has zero plans to change the iconic show’s DNA. No, you’re not going to see Charles Barkley riding a Booger-mobile on the sidelines. Or Shaquille O’Neal & Co. wearing canary-yellow vests emblazoned with the ABC logo. TNT will retain full editorial control. So expect to see the same funny, bombastic, basketball show that’s earned 21 Sports Emmy Awards during its historic run.
As with the outspoken Stephen A. Smith and Pat McAfee, ESPN management will take a hands-off approach with Barkley, O’Neal, Kenny Smith, and Ernie Johnson.
As one source told me: “Some of the speculation’s just nuts. ESPN has wanted Barkley and this show for 20 years. Now that they’ve got it, why would they change it?”
Starting with the 2025–26 season, TNT will license the show to ESPN in exchange for a package of Big 12 college football and basketball games. Once this year’s Pacers-Thunder Finals conclude, the brain trust in Bristol will gather to discuss their strategy for the 36-year-old program. Here’s what we’re hearing:
- There will be an extensive postgame show, say sources. ESPN’s goal is to let the postgame segment run as long as it does now on TNT. As Bomani Jones noted on his eponymous show: “ESPN historically has not done postgame shows. If you’re not gonna do the Inside the NBA postgame show, you’re getting rid of the best part. It doesn’t seem like it will be a gratifying experience. But they also can’t put that on ABC. That would be preposterous.”
- Inside the NBA will lead ESPN’s pregame and halftime programming. The show will air live during ABC/ESPN’s biggest events, including the NBA Finals, conference finals, and NBA playoffs. They’ll also be featured on opening week, Christmas Day, all ABC games after Jan. 1, and the final week of the season. ESPN’s own NBA Countdown will survive, but it will be strictly second-string. Simmons did say that ESPN might “fuck the show up” by forcing Inside the NBA to do the “short, terrible” pregame/haltime segments that are a staple of Countdown. “Unless they completely change how they do commercials, the show is going to be different and people are going to be pissed,” warned Simmons. “And Barkley and those guys are going to be pissed. And I think it’s going to go badly.”
- The cast is expected to stay together. With O’Neal signing a long-term extension paying him more than $15 million a year, the Beatles of Basketball TV are all under contract. All four will remain TNT employees, but they’re all expected to report for duty when the show is licensed to ESPN. The show will continue to be produced in the same Atlanta studio with the same behind-the-scenes crew. The only difference is that the set will bear ESPN branding rather than the TNT logo.
- On Monday, Barkley told Dan Patrick that he expects to only work two seasons of the seven years left on his monster, 10-year, $210 million contract. “If they start trying to work me too much between ESPN and TNT, I’m just going to walk on home,” he said. Barkley is Barkley. He’s been talking about retirement for 10 years. But what do you know? The Round Mound of Rebound is suddenly speaking more positively about ESPN—a frequent target of his barbs—than ever before: “ESPN is the most famous sports brand ever. It’s going to be awesome working for them,” he told Patrick.
- The devil is in the details when it comes to scheduling. ESPN will have to juggle its various shows and linear/digital media platforms to give Inside the NBA the high profile it deserves. For instance, if a featured NBA game is on ESPN, then postgame coverage probably just rolls over into Inside the NBA. But if the game airs on ABC, the broadcast network will likely shift into local news. So viewers will probably have to change channels to ESPN or ESPN2 to watch the Chuckster.
- There’s also the question of how the show will coexist alongside Scott Van Pelt’s midnight SportsCenter. Will Inside the NBA air on ESPN2 alongside Van Pelt’s SC on ESPN’s primary channel? Or will it start on ESPN, then shift to ESPN2 once Van Pelt goes on-air? That will be discussed after the Finals. My guess is ESPN will try to keep everything on the same channel. Thankfully, ESPN boasts more platforms than any other sports media company. The network is used to juggling properties between platforms.
- Barkley broke some news on Patrick’s show Monday. He revealed TNT is working on what sounds like a general-interest sports show with some cast members from Inside the NBA. The network taped a pilot a month ago. But Barkley called it the “stupidest shit ever.” He doesn’t give the idea much of a chance since it would have to compete with live NBA games, said Barkley. “I’ll give TNT credit. They did say it was an awful pilot.”
ESPN declined to comment, referring to a statement last November when it acquired the rights to Inside the NBA.
“We have long-admired the immensely talented team and are thrilled to add their chemistry and knowledge to our robust set of NBA studio offerings to super-serve NBA fans like never before,” stated ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro on Nov. 18. Added TNT Sports chairman and CEO Luis Silberwasser in a statement: “We are thrilled to continue to produce Inside the NBA for ESPN and ABC, ensuring fans are able to keep enjoying the magic of this show during the NBA season.”
