TNT Sports has confirmed that it will continue producing the beloved show “Inside the NBA,” featuring prominent hosts Ernie Johnson Jr., Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, and Shaquille O’Neal. The quartet will remain with the program throughout the duration of their contracts and may also create new content for Warner Bros. Discovery’s cable and streaming services. Among the upcoming projects is an “Inside Sports” show, which is currently in development for the next season, as reported by the company.
Sources familiar with the agreement indicated that ESPN has established protections within the deal, allowing it to cease licensing the show should any of the key hosts depart.
As the show prepares to transition to Disney’s platforms next year, it remains uncertain whether it will carry TNT or ESPN branding. While TNT Sports retains full editorial control, collaborations with ESPN talent may occur, according to insiders.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver expressed enthusiasm about the continuation of “Inside the NBA,” stating, “The opportunity to continue the iconic and Emmy Award-winning ‘Inside the NBA’ is a huge win for basketball fans everywhere. We look forward to building on our longstanding partnership with TNT Sports and working together to promote NBA content across key WBD and NBA platforms.”
In recent months, Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery have collaborated on several initiatives, including a streaming bundle that connects WBD’s Max service with Disney+ and Hulu, as well as a sports-focused joint venture called Venu, which is currently facing antitrust scrutiny.
Additionally, as part of a broader settlement unrelated to the NBA, ESPN has agreed to allow TNT to broadcast 13 Big 12 football games and 15 men’s basketball games each season starting in 2025. This arrangement will enhance the Big 12’s exposure on linear television, as many of these games would have otherwise been streamed exclusively on ESPN+, according to sources.
Earlier this year, ESPN also entered a similar sub-licensing agreement with Warner Bros. Discovery for the first round and quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff.
This deal provides Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav with a positive outcome after unsuccessful negotiations with the NBA during its exclusive negotiating window earlier this year.
“Together these agreements ensure fans will continue to enjoy TNT’s ‘Inside the NBA’ and create tremendous value for our entire portfolio as we accelerate the growth of TNT Sports, Bleacher Report, House of Highlights, and our global sports business,” Zaslav stated.
Last month, Silver noted in an interview with CNBC that the league “absolutely” had the potential to finalize a deal with Warner Bros. Discovery, but differing leadership perspectives hindered progress.
“It wasn’t a longtime relationship with the people currently running Warner Bros. Discovery,” Silver remarked. “Ideally in these partnerships, people aren’t pulling out the contract and saying page eight, paragraph three. You’re saying you understand the spirit of what you were trying to accomplish, and that you’re willing to adjust based on changes that might have been unpredictable. So when you’re actually looking at the contract, that’s a sign that the partnership isn’t going as well.”
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