Inside the NBA in major broadcast change which saves Shaq and Charles Barkley’s show after bitter legal battle

Inside the NBA in major broadcast change which saves Shaq and Charles Barkley’s show after bitter legal battle

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The NBA appears to have been saved after reaching an unexpected agreement this weekend.

The popular show starring Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley was set to end this summer when their network lost the rights to the NBA.

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Inside The NBA will be archived and shown on ESPN starting next seasonCredit: Getty
Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley will continue to play their roles

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Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley will continue to play their rolesCredit: Getty

But a bitter legal battle between the NBA and Warner Bros. Discovery, which owns TNT Sports, led to a compromise.

Inside The NBA will air on ESPN and ABC starting next season.

Shaq, Barkley, Ernie Johnson and Kenny Smith will remain on the screens.

The quartet will remain employees of TNT and are free to work on Warner Bros. projects. Other Discovery.

The company sued the NBA over a matching rights agreement in its contract to broadcast the league.

The NBA has signed 11-year contracts with ESPN, NBC and Amazon Prime as the new rights holders starting next season.

Amazon has acquired the package held by Warner Bros. Discovery/TNT currently.

The streaming giants claimed they had matched the offer from a rival service and should have retained the rights.

But a settlement has now been agreed which means Inside The NBA will be shown on ESPN and ABC instead.

The news was first reported by the Wall Street Journal and the Associated Press.

Stephen A. sends Smith message to Chuck and Shaq about 'getting paid' after TNT NBA star had 'conversations with three networks'

Inside the NBA is expected to air during key dates on the calendar, including Opening Night and Christmas.

TNT Sports also received an 11-year global content license from the NBA as part of the settlement.

Warner Bros. will continue Discovery also announced its existing digital relationship with NBA.com over the next five years.

TNT has shown live NBA games since its launch in 1988.

New rights deal

The NBA has signed an 11-year contract with three networks for the rights to the league starting in the 2025-26 season.

There will be no games on TNT for the first time since the network launched in 1988.

The Walt Disney Company will continue to show the league with 80 regular season games on ESPN and ABC.

They will also feature approximately 18 first- and second-round playoff games, conference finals series for 10 of their 11 years, and will remain the home of the NBA Finals.

NBC will return as NBA broadcaster for the first time since 2002.

The network will show up to 100 games per season across its channels and Peacock streaming service.

It will also be home to the NBA All-Star and showcase approximately 28 first- and second-round playoff games.

NBC will show one conference finals series for six of the 11 years, alternating with new broadcaster Amazon Prime.

Amazon will show 66 NBA regular season games, including Black Friday.

The streaming service is also home to the final stages of the NBA Cup and the entire Play-In Championship.

Prime will also broadcast about a third of the first- and second-round playoff games.

But that will end after this season as part of the new rights agreement.

They have already joined ESPN in covering college football this season.

TNT will show two live College Football Playoff games on Saturday, December 21 under a sublicense from ESPN.

The network will also broadcast Big 12 football and men's basketball starting next season.

In addition to welcoming Amazon Prime to the fold, the NBA is also returning to NBC.

The network's last contract ended in 2002, when the NBA decided to move forward with ESPN and TNT.



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