TNT’s Unique Luxury Offers Hope for Shaq & Charles Barkley’s Inside the NBA After $4.5 Billion Company’s Game 1 Setback

NBA games aren’t only about the on-court action but also the analysis that follows it. The experts line up their viewers with quick-fire analysis of the game (pre-game, halftime, and post-game). However, ESPN, which earned the privilege to cover the 2024 Finals, failed to impress the audience with its halftime show. Notably, Shaquille O’Neal & Co. had the luxury of overcoming the restriction.

During the Finals Game 1, the Celtics decimated the Mavs with a blowout 89-107 win. While Stephen A. Smith & Co. had a horde of stuff to analyze, they disappointed fans with a flurry of advertisements. It eventually reduced the duration of the halftime show. Notably, the viewership dropped from 11.35 million to 9.01 million in the last quarter. It irked a lot of criticism for “lack of analysis”.

Addressing the issue, Doug Gottlieb, a Fox Sports analyst, revealed the reason behind the outrage. He urged his audience to study the difference between cable and network TV. He explained the helpless state of the $4.5 billion-worth ABC Network to rely on ads, saying, ” But the breaks are cut up so much because that’s how they make money.” Moreover, he batted for TNT (Cable) saying, “TNT has a longer halftime show because they can. They are also making money on their subs,” he revealed on The Doug Gottlieb Show.

He concluded his segment, summarizing, “You can make money on viewership and you can make money on selling ads. And the more ads you sell, the more money you make, and the only place to place ads are interspersed within your live programming”. While Gottlieb has given the reason behind the setback, it raises an important question: Will it serve them well in the long run?

Does Shaquille O’Neal & Co. have hope?

One of the biggest news throughout this season was about the Inside Guys. The beloved show that held its ground in the NBA since 1989 has to say its last goodbye after the next season. TNT failed to match the offer that ABC and NBC managed to pull off alongside Amazon Prime to take over the NBA media rights for the next decade. And, this has left the Inside Guys crew (Shaq, Charles Barkley, Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith) with no other choice other than finding an alternate option.

Shaq, speaking of the potential exit, said, ” If it’s the end of that show, I think it’ll be a travesty to everyone. We don’t know what’s going on, but hopefully, the powers and people [within TNT] will make sure that this show go well.” Even Dallas’ Luka Doncic seemed to encourage everyone at the end of their show. He said, “You ain’t done yet. We’ve got to figure out something.”

On top of that, the latest trouble for ESPN regarding their Finals coverage may even open doors for the TNT once again. Will the Inside Guys continue their show despite losing the media rights? Let us know in the comments.

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow in what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato had to say about WNBA sensation Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, this video