The Big Aristotle didn’t hesitate to call out the current state of the media and ESPN. A major shift began with the rise of social media. It gave athletes and celebrities a new way to connect with fans more directly than before. “The new media,” Draymond Green calls one of its means — the podcast. And Shaquille O’Neal is all for it, with his theory behind the popularity. 

Shaq has his own podcast and does his job well at the TNT studio. So, he knows a thing or two about it. He thus even went so far as to say that one of America’s most reputable sports networks might not have many viewers, as podcasts continue to grow due to the many approaches they can have. 

“Podcasts are taking over the world because everybody’s doing something different. Draymond and Baron is doing way different than we’re doing. Stak five and Matt Barnes doing way different. Like it’s just different. It’s entertaining. That’s why you got these guys doing these big podcast deals. Nobody’s watching ESPN and all that anymore and people need to wake up,” O’Neal said on the show.

This stems from the discussion surrounding the current NBA season, which witnessed a decline in viewership. The match between Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves saw a 17% decrease against last year’s opener between New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers. Then both of Wednesday’s games on ESPN saw a dip. 51% for the San Antonio Spurs and OKC Thunder. Shaq believes the games require diversification in skill execution to draw in the viewers, thus drawing an example from the variety in podcasts, keeping the audience from major networks.

And Shaq is far off. Sports podcast is one of the most in-demand podcasting genres out there. 5th in the States as per Edison Research. From Green and Kevin Garnett – Paul Pierce to JJ Redick (previously), all have had their styles in offering their narratives. And the growth has been evident. 

Not limited to the NBA, it’s a new era where athletes are landing some lucrative podcast deals. Whether you are keeping up with the NFL or not, Travis and Jason Kelce’s latest agreement is one to notice. Their weekly podcast, New Heights, has achieved a new milestone. The two brothers signed a three-year deal which is reportedly worth more than $100 million with Amazon’s Wondery.

As part of the deal, the company gains rights to manufacture, license, and distribute all merchandise based on New Heights. This marks a major shift in the podcasting landscape, with growth likely to continue. And to keep up with this change, O’Neal’s suggestions are right. This isn’t the only issue troubling the Los Angeles Lakers legend Shaquille O’Neal, who seemingly isn’t ready to let go of his job at TNT. 

Shaquille O’Neal is hopeful about Inside the NBA 

The NBA on NBC is certainly exciting for fans who find it fascinating and nostalgic. However, Inside the NBA has been a staple for several years, and many aren’t ready to say goodbye. Well, neither are the analysts working for Turner. 

With TNT left out of the NBA’s deal this year, the chances of its return are very slim. But that hasn’t crushed the hopes of the Inside crew. “But this last year is gonna be a phenomenal year, you know Chuck is gonna go crazy, I’m gonna go crazy. It’s gonna be fun. Hopefully this is not the last year,” Shaq said on The OGs podcast with Udonis Haslem and Mike Miller.

Regardless, we will keep seeing the legend sharing his insights in his podcasts. As the sports podcast market now claims nearly 29% of the total podcast market. Fans show a strong demand for more in-depth stories and perspectives. Just as the NBA is implementing changes for the next All-Star Game after the lackluster 2024 All-Star games, the league might also consider making a change that can help boost their viewership.