The ultimate NBA rights package has become a hotly debated and crucial issue in today’s sports media landscape. While the NBA has yet to officially announce the victor of the broadcast rights bidding war, comments by Bill Simmons indicate that NBC may have prevailed. As a result, it appears that “Inside the NBA” is set to end, given that Warner Discovery Sports (Turner) was required to match or exceed NBC’s bid.
Reports indicate that NBCUniversal’s annual bid of $2.5 billion includes the “Basketball Night in America” program. The deal is likely to feature Sunday night games post-NFL season and may also encompass ESPN’s Friday night lineup, along with TNT’s second-round playoff and conference final packages.
A new deal may mark the conclusion of the renowned sports pregame, halftime, and postgame show, Inside The NBA. The program, which has aired since 1988 and has won 18 Emmys, features stars Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley, and Ernie Johnson and this could be the end of the road for this outstanding show.
Even if WBD (Turner) is excluded from the upcoming media rights deal, ‘Inside The NBA’ will not disappear right away. TNT retains the NBA broadcast rights for the 2025 season. However, at this juncture, we’re all merely hoping it’s not a swan song. Thus, fans would have one final opportunity to witness one of the most acclaimed sports shows on television.
NBC Sports boasts a talented team, and it’s probable they’ll pursue the cast of Inside the NBA. It’s known that Barkley has a unique clause in his Turner Sports contract. He secured a ten-year deal with Turner, including an opt-out clause. Should TNT forfeit its NBA rights, Barkley has the option to leave and possibly align with NBC.
It is unclear whether O’Neal and Smith have similar out clauses in their contracts, though it would be logical for them to have agreements akin to Barkley’s, which would allow them to become free agents should WBD Sports lose the NBA broadcast rights to NBC. Nonetheless, the key element that unifies the show is Ernie Johnson and the Turner Atlanta production team, who will not be moving to NBC.
Chemistry is the key to any successful television program, and ‘Inside the NBA’ is no exception. The talented trio of O’Neal, Barkley, and Smith, along with Ernie Johnson, have been significant on-screen presences, while Tim Kelly has been the guiding force behind the scenes since 1998. Although NBC could attempt to recruit Kelly, Johnson has expressed his intention to remain with Turner to manage their baseball package.
If NBC returns to the NBA scene, it’s likely we’ll see Barkley, O’Neal, and Smith in some capacity on their ‘NBA Night in America’ team. It may not replicate ‘Inside the NBA,’ but as with all great shows that conclude, such as MASH, Friends, Cheers, Dallas, and others, they leave a legacy. There are talented individuals at NBC who could create something remarkable, so here’s to keeping an open mind and toasting to ‘Inside the NBA.’
Jim Williams has been covering sports media and the business side of sports for nearly 45 years. He was a featured columnist for the Washington and San Francisco Examiner Newspapers for ten years and has contributed regularly to Sports Business Journal, Forbes, Playboy, and Newsweek.
Washington based CEO & Founder of LJC. Media covering politics, sports, & entertainment A seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director, and podcast host. Digital Director and Washington Bureau Chief at News Talk Florida & The Daily Cable
