The 10th TNT edition of ‘The Match’ had to be special, so the network called in its most trusted general for the prime-time show. Charles Barkley, during his 29th appearance at the ACC Golf Championship, left a positive impression. So, to hopefully continue his good swing, Chuck has once again picked up his clubs. This time against 7 other celebrities, and before somebody cracks a joke at the swing, the TNT analyst has done it himself.

“The Match is back and so is my famous swing 🏌🏾‍♂️😂 Catch me on The Match: Superstars Nov.21-22 on TNT!” he wrote on Instagram.

The format is pretty simple with quarterfinal matches as the 8 participants get split into 4 teams. Then they start a 2-v-2 scramble match, and then the semifinals and finals are individual match plays. Charles Barkley will be teaming up with baseball HOFer Ken Griffey Jr. They will take on the pair of actor and hockey HOFer Bill Murray and Wayne Gretzky.

Mark Wahlberg (actor) and Michael Phelps (decorated Olympic swimmer) form the third team and take on another former basketball player. But it’s not Charles Barkley’s best friend, Shaquille O’Neal. Comedian Nate Bargatze will team up with Blake Griffin for the two-day event on Nov. 21 and Friday, Nov. 22, on TNT and HBO MAX. The winner of the show will take home a grand prize of $1 million. Numerous other celebrities and golfers have been part of the show previously.

The first edition had Tiger Woods taking on Phil Mickelson, and recently other athletes such as Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, and Patrick Mahomes graced the show. So, is this the way TNT is trying to build an audience for different shows? Currently, the NBA media rights deal is still in court, with no judgment in sight. Every passing day it feels like Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal won’t feature in the basketball coverage from the next season.

The audience already moving on from Charles Barkley and Co.’s Inside show

As per reports, the Tuesday NBA Opening game on TNT had 2.95 million viewers and saw a 1.6 rating. Thus, a 6% increase in viewership from last year, but the network’s pre-game show had only a 2% increase in viewership over last year. And the main issue is ‘Inside the NBA’ despite being a fan favorite, had a decline in viewership. 4% less than last year’s number. (All stats from Sports Media Watch).

This year’s Opening Night was the last on TNT for at least the next 11 years, despite the impending verdict. Because TNT matched Amazon’s offer does not include Opening Night, as NBC and Peacock have the rights. The Philadelphia 76ers legend previously explained how he was unsure what the next plan was for the show. But it seems even the current plan is not working for Charles Barkley and Co.

That’s why the network seems to be trying different sports, with Chuck in the lead. But will other sports fill the big hole left by basketball? And if not, which other sports can they inculcate that Charles Barkley, Shaq, Kenny Smith, and Ernie Johnson can converse about?  Only time will tell.