“Inside the NBA,” featuring the quartet of Ernie Johnson Jr., Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Shaquille O’Neal, will appear on ESPN and ABC beginning in the 2025-26 season through a partnership with TNT Sports and the NBA. It was announced on Monday.
Except when the show goes on tour, TNT Sports will continue to independently produce “Inside the NBA” from its Atlanta-based studios for the duration of the agreement. Johnson, Barkley, Smith and O’Neal will remain with the program.
The show, which has won 21 Sports Emmy Awards, will appear on ESPN and ABC around high-profile live events, including ESPN’s pre-, halftime and postgame coverage of the NBA Finals on ABC, Finals conference, NBA playoffs, all ABC games after January. 1, Christmas Day, opening week, last week of the season and other live highlights.
“The NBA is universally recognized as one of the best and most culturally impactful sports in the world,” ESPN president Jimmy Pitaro said in a statement. “We have long admired the immensely talented team and are thrilled to add their chemistry and knowledge to our robust suite of NBA studio offerings to provide super service to NBA fans like never before. The addition of Inside the “NBA further solidifies ESPN as the preeminent destination for sports fans.”
The 2025-26 season marks the first of ESPN’s 11-year rights extension with the NBA.
As part of the deal, TNT Sports will also begin broadcasting 13 Big 12 football games and 15 men’s basketball games next season as part of a sublicense with ESPN. TNT will broadcast two College Football Playoff games starting this season, also under a sublicense with ESPN.
ESPN will continue to produce “NBA Countdown” and “NBA Today.”
“At TNT Sports, we are very proud of our Inside the NBA show and know that its success is both a reflection of the iconic talent on set and the incredible people behind the scenes who constantly demonstrate the creativity and artistry of our great team” , TNT The general director of Sports, Luis Silberwasser, said in a statement. “We are thrilled to continue producing Inside the NBA for ESPN and ABC, ensuring fans can continue to enjoy the magic of this show throughout the NBA season.”
The deal is part of a settlement after Warner Bros. Discovery, the parent company of TNT Sports, sued the NBA in New York state court in August after the league did not accept the company’s matching offer for one of packages from its new 11-year media rights agreement, which will begin with the 2025-26 season.
The agreement gives TNT Sports, Bleacher Report and House of Highlights a global license to NBA content without payment of royalties for the next 11 years.
“The opportunity to continue the iconic, Emmy Award-winning ‘Inside the NBA’ is a huge win for basketball fans everywhere,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “We look forward to continuing our long-standing partnership with TNT Sports and working together to promote NBA content on key WBD and NBA platforms.”
“Inside the NBA” began in 1989. Johnson became host in 1990, while Smith joined full-time in 1998. Barkley came aboard in 2000, followed by O’Neal in 2011. Barkley signed an extension with WBD in August.
Warner Bros. Discovery will also continue its relationship with the league’s digital operations, including NBA.com, for five seasons. TNT Sports and the NBA have jointly managed NBA Digital since 2009.
Although TNT Sports will not broadcast games in the United States starting next season, it does have rights to broadcast a full package of games in select countries, including those in Latin America (excluding Brazil and Mexico), as well as Poland, Denmark, Finland , Norway and Sweden.
Turner Sports has had an NBA package since 1984 and games have aired on TNT since the network launched in 1988. That will end after this season.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
