ESPN, Amazon Prime eyeing Charles Barkley, Inside the NBA crew
But Charles Barkley was wise enough to demand an out clause in his last contract negotiation, which enables him to become a TV free agent if TNT loses NBA rights. With TNT likely to take the NBA to court, the network’s not out of the game yet. Now, odds are the NBA will be on Prime, not TNT, starting with the 2025–2026 season. As ‘Tuned In’ predicted on May 2, that would instantly send Sir Charles’s star into the stratosphere. The Chuckster could command $20 million-plus offers from the NBA’s new trio of rights partners: newcomer Prime; incumbent ABC/ESPN; and former broadcast partner NBC, which held the rights during the Michael Jordan golden era from 1990 to 2002. ESPN is already eying Barkley and the entire cast of Inside the NBA, say my sources. Ditto for Prime.
Source: Front Office Sports
Source: Front Office Sports
What’s the buzz on Twitter?
Duane Rankin @DuaneRankin
Let Charles Barkley’s farewell tour begin; NBA to move forward without TNT in new media deal (w/video) #NBAonNBC #NBA azcentral.com/story/sports/n… via @azcentral – 10:15 AM
Let Charles Barkley’s farewell tour begin; NBA to move forward without TNT in new media deal (w/video) #NBAonNBC #NBA azcentral.com/story/sports/n… via @azcentral – 10:15 AM
Duane Rankin @DuaneRankin
Let Charles Barkley’s farewell tour begin; NBA to move forward without TNT in new media deal (w/video) #Suns #NBAonTNT azcentral.com/story/sports/n… via @azcentral – 8:43 PM
Let Charles Barkley’s farewell tour begin; NBA to move forward without TNT in new media deal (w/video) #Suns #NBAonTNT azcentral.com/story/sports/n… via @azcentral – 8:43 PM
Rob Perez @WorldWideWob
EJ’s Neato Stat of the Night ideas, which Inside prob couldnt get away with b4 but who cares now:
1) Live from Secret Tunnel
2) Charles Barkley Man on the Street in San Antonio
3) Shaq spears Kenny into that Xmas Tree
4) Who He Play For? But introduce the players one by one like – 4:46 PM
EJ’s Neato Stat of the Night ideas, which Inside prob couldnt get away with b4 but who cares now:
1) Live from Secret Tunnel
2) Charles Barkley Man on the Street in San Antonio
3) Shaq spears Kenny into that Xmas Tree
4) Who He Play For? But introduce the players one by one like – 4:46 PM
Rob Perez @WorldWideWob
EJ’s Neato Stat of the Night ideas, which Inside prob couldnt get away with b4 but who cares now:
1) Live from Secret Tunnel
2) Charles Barkley Man on the Street in San Antonio
3) Shaq spears Kenny into that Xmas Tree
4) Paintball against prod staff
5) Gone Fishin from Cancun – 4:40 PM
EJ’s Neato Stat of the Night ideas, which Inside prob couldnt get away with b4 but who cares now:
1) Live from Secret Tunnel
2) Charles Barkley Man on the Street in San Antonio
3) Shaq spears Kenny into that Xmas Tree
4) Paintball against prod staff
5) Gone Fishin from Cancun – 4:40 PM
Trey Kerby @treykerby
Last season of the deal Charles Barkley is going to be wild. Can’t wait. – 4:31 PM
Last season of the deal Charles Barkley is going to be wild. Can’t wait. – 4:31 PM
StatMuse @statmuse
Most threes on under 30 3P%:
549 — Dwyane Wade
538 — Charles Barkley
531 — DeMar DeRozan
528 — Giannis Antetokounmpo pic.twitter.com/moXSkbMq68 – 12:13 PM
Most threes on under 30 3P%:
549 — Dwyane Wade
538 — Charles Barkley
531 — DeMar DeRozan
528 — Giannis Antetokounmpo pic.twitter.com/moXSkbMq68 – 12:13 PM
More on this storyline
Warner Bros. Discovery’s TNT, Bleacher Report, and House of Highlights have launched an aggressive social media campaign to try to save TNT’s live game rights, as well as Charles Barkley’s iconic Inside the NBA. TNT declined to comment. But the social blitz has several business objectives, according to my sources. First, remind the NBA of TNT’s superlative coverage throughout 40 years. Second, spark a groundswell of support from hoops fans, players, and celebrities who don’t want Inside the NBA, and its Emmy-winning cast of Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny Smith, and Ernie Johnson, canceled after a final 2024–2025 season. The offseason marketing blitz even has its own hashtag: #KeepNBAonTNT. -via Front Office Sports / July 25, 2024
Amazon, which will officially stream NBA games starting in 2025, has interest in pursuing members of TNT’s revered “Inside the NBA” studio show, according to Jay Marine, global head of sports for Prime Video. Marine told SBJ that Amazon Prime Video used “Inside the NBA” as a model for its Thursday night NFL pregame, halftime and post-game show, and — should the TNT cast of Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, Shaquille O’Neal and Ernie Johnson become available — said, “Obviously, there’ll be a lot of interest, and we’ll just have to see how that plays out.’’ -via Sports Business Journal / July 25, 2024
TNT got the contracts Wednesday night, say my sources. So it will have approximately five days, until next Monday, to “match” either Amazon Prime Video’s $1.8 billion–per-year offer or NBC’s $2.5 billion–per-year bid. (Disney’s ABC/ESPN is expected to retain the NBA’s TV “A” package, including the NBA Finals, at a price of $2.8 billion per year.) My sources tell me TNT is far more likely to match Prime’s offer than NBC’s. The network behind Charles Barkley’s Emmy Award–winning Inside the NBA is also holding out hope for a less-expensive fourth rights package that would keep it in the live NBA game business. -via Front Office Sports / July 18, 2024