UPDATE: Now, as Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports is reporting, TNT may pull off a “buzzer-beater” that allows them to retain their NBA ties. If so, the Inside the NBA cast would remain together for the foreseeable future.
Rumors have lingered for several weeks that TNT’s Inside the NBA crew consisting of Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kenny ‘The Jet’ Smith could be in their final days together.
What’s happening is TNT had been embroiled in a TV rights battle to broadcast NBA content, which other major networks were bidding massive amounts of money for.
NBA rights go to Disney, Amazon, NBC, and ESPN, but not TNT
We now know the fate of the Inside the NBA cast because the league is officially finalizing media deals with Disney, Amazon, and NBC instead.
According to Tom Friend of the Sports Business Journal, the NBA is in the final stage of media rights negotiations that will exclude TNT from the NBA broadcasting picture.
ESPN is reportedly paying $2.8 billion annually for the NBA’s “A” package, which includes coverage of the NBA Finals, weekly primetime games, WNBA, and international broadcasting rights.
Meanwhile, NBC is getting the “B” package or $2.6 billion, which includes “Basketball Night in America” on Sunday nights after the NFL season ends, two primetime windows per week, and several playoff matchups.
Amazon is set to pay between $1.8 and $2 billion for a package that includes the In-Season Tournament, first-round playoff games, WNBA, and international rights.
All of this is to say, TNT’s Inside the Crew will no longer have a home on TV after the 2024-25 season concludes, breaking up a legendary quartet.