Charles Barkley to Lose $11.9 Billion Brand Deal as 4-Year Partnership Abruptly Ends

All good things must come to an end and Charles Barkley is experiencing this sentiment big time. Now, before the fans of Inside the NBA panic, this isn’t about his broadcasting career. Rather, it’s something, not just the hoops legend, but his fans have also enjoyed over the years! The Subway commercials featuring Charles Barkley. Yep, there will be no more of them.

You see, the Chuckster formed relationships with the fanbase in more ways than one.

The first and obvious part of the bracket is his NBA legacy, then came his punditry antics with Big Diesel and Co., and soon after came his acting gig! Well, not acting in the movies, but getting a key message across in seconds, sure, why not? The fans were up for it. Heck, Barkley was up for it, too. Not initially, though. In 2024, he made it clear, saying, “I only do two commercials a year; I have very strict rules, and I don’t want people to get sick of me, and I don’t want them to think that I would do commercials just for money.”

But now, there seems to be an era coming to an end. “Subway. Thank you… My deal with Subway is ending,” Barkley announced on the recent episode of The Steam Room. However, when asked by Ernie Johnson, Chuck could not provide any definite answer on the reason behind the end of the deal. “Well, you have to ask them.”

Johnson, for one, found it a puzzling move.

In his mind, Chuck’s run with Subway was the best campaign they’ve ever had! But Chuck? He had a completely different reaction when he shot his first commercial.

“The first time I did it, I thought it was the stupidest thing I’d ever done as a commercial,” he admitted on The Steam Room. Imagine sitting in a room for two hours, just yelling into a microphone—that’s exactly what Barkley did. But once he saw the final product on TV, it all clicked. “It all made sense,” he said, assuring that his time working with the $11.9B brand team had been nothing but great.

For those who might not remember, Charles Barkley first teamed up with Subway in July 2021, lending his unmistakable voice to the “Eat Fresh Refresh” campaign. The ads promoted new menu upgrades and ingredients, and he wasn’t alone. The commercial featured names like Stephen Curry, Tom Brady, Serena Williams, Megan Rapinoe, and more.

A year later, Barkley took his Subway role to the next level, stepping in front of the camera for the “Subway Series” campaign. This time, he co-hosted a mock draft event with Tony Romo, hyping up a fresh lineup of sandwiches. The Splash Bro was back for this one, too, but new faces like Simone Biles and Rob Gronkowski joined the mix.

The Chuckster became a key figure in Subway’s commercials through the years. And while this chapter is closing – no doubt his booming voice and larger-than-life personality helped make Subway’s ads as memorable as they were.

2025: The year of hoop icons bidding farewell to iconic AD campaigns!

If you’re a fan of March Madness, chances are you’ve laughed out loud at those Capital One commercials, airing during the tournament. And without any denying, the credit goes to the iconic quartet of Magic Johnson, Charles Barkley, Samuel L. Jackson, and Spike Lee. However, the fanbase will find a major piece missing this year around.

Charles Barkley opened up about it on Arizona Sports. “They do a great job. I cannot wait… We add magic, not magic. We have magic… in Jen Gardner for the last 5 or 6 years. This year we have in Kareem. So I’m really excited about that,” Barkley said of this year’s Capital One campaign.

Yep, no more Magic Johnson in the Capital One commercials!

It’s an interesting change, especially since last year’s commercial was a hit with fans. “You ready to get real this #MarchMadness? @samuelljackson and @officialspikelee, let me hear you say The Magic Mart is the best shop around,” Johnson wrote while sharing the viral commercial on his IG.

No doubt that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is more than a legend in his own right, but it might not feel the same without Magic. And the same could be the case for Subway campaigns without Charles Barkley.

What do you think?