Adam Silver delivered a sliver of hope to basketball fans that the fate TNT’s beloved “Inside the NBA” has yet to be decided.
The league’s commissioner was asked about fans’ concerns about losing the on-air team of Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal with the home of the NBA’s television rights after next season still officially undecided.
Sports Business Journal reported earlier this week that NBC was closing in on securing the NBA’s “B” package for $2.6 million for the 2025-26 season, along with separate agreements with Disney/ESPN and Amazon.
Current “B” package rights holder Warner Bros. Discovery does have the right to match the “total value” of any opposing over.
Silver, who was approached by TMZ on his way to a White House state dinner on Thursday, suggested that negotiations were still ongoing when asked about fans’ worry about losing the likes of Smith and Barkley covering in the NBA.
“Who knows,” Silver said. “We’re all still talking. Who knows how it’s gonna work out.”
Silver also didn’t believe that the end of “Inside the NBA” on TNT would cost fans the insight from the likes of Smith and Barkley.
“We’re never gonna lose Charles and Kenny,” Silver said. “They’re always going to be covering the NBA. … I can’t imagine those guys [on ‘Inside the NBA’] won’t be performing and announcing together in the future and we all love them.”
Silver, according to Matthew Belloni of PUCK, was irked by Warner Bro. Discovery CEO David Zaslav’s comments that they “don’t have to have” the NBA and it’s possible the company also tries to match the “C” package Amazon is getting for just under $2 billion.
The meaning of “total value” could spark a legal fight, according to SBJ, because the NBA is set to argue to Warner Bro. Discovery that “a match is not dollar-for-dollar” due to ad revenue and broadcast windows.
Barkley, 61, gave the bleaker feeling about the show’s fate on TNT while taking a shot at the network’s higher-ups because they “screwed this up” during an appearance on “ The Dan Patrick Show” on Thursday.
“Morale sucks. Plain and simple. I just feel so bad for the people I work with, Dan. These people have families, and I just really feel bad for them right now. You know, these people I work with, they screwed this thing up clearly, and we don’t have zero idea of what’s going to happen,” Barkley said.
The Hall of Famer did add the he talking to the “Inside the NBA” team — minus Johnson, who will reportedly be staying with Turner regardless — about signing with his production company, Fine Line Productions.
They could then potentially license the show to a network or streaming service.
“Like I said, we’re just sitting back, waiting on these people to figure out what they’re going to do,” Barkley said.
Silver’s comments at least mean the book isn’t closed just yet.
News Summary:
- Adam Silver not closing book on fate of ‘Inside the NBA’ team just yet
- Check all news and articles from the latest NBA updates.