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NBA, Basketball Herren, USA All Star Game-BBVA Rising Stars Challenge February 24, 2012 Orlando FL, USA TNT anchor Kenny Smith introduces Team Shaq general manager Shaquille O Neal and Team Chuck general manager Charles Barkley before the BBVA rising stars challenge at the Amway Center in Orlando. Orlando Amway Center Florida UNITED STATES, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xKimxKlement-USAxTODAYxSportsx 6023530
via Imago
NBA, Basketball Herren, USA All Star Game-BBVA Rising Stars Challenge February 24, 2012 Orlando FL, USA TNT anchor Kenny Smith introduces Team Shaq general manager Shaquille O Neal and Team Chuck general manager Charles Barkley before the BBVA rising stars challenge at the Amway Center in Orlando. Orlando Amway Center Florida UNITED STATES, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xKimxKlement-USAxTODAYxSportsx 6023530
Hope is still alive for the Inside Guys. Contrary to what we feared, TNT is doing its best to retain basketball and is playing hardball in the negotiations. Although it was as good as set in stone that NBC had won the bid, the official decision won’t be announced until the playoffs. Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley have repeatedly assured that Warner Bros. Discovery is doing everything to keep Inside the NBA and the NBA on TNT franchise running. Now reports emerge that Turner could possibly close on a new deal.
As Shaq said, CEO David Zaslav is working hard to not lose the NBA media rights to NBC’s $2.5 billion package. While some contend that TNT might not match it, there are two other options in a new structure available. The ‘A’ package is likely to go to Shaq and Chuck’s rival, Stephen A. Smith at the Disney-owned ESPN. This includes the marquee rights to the NBA Finals.
What remains is the ‘B’ or ‘C’ packages. The second best, option B, includes a conference final every other year. The C package includes the newly introduced mid-season tournament which Shaq and Chuck criticized, play-in games, and early round playoff series. Either options could mean reformatting at Inside the NBA.
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TNT has been in the NBA broadcast business with other partners for 40 years. Inside the NBA has been on air for three decades out of that. The current version of Inside the NBA has been running since 2011. Changes have been mostly limited to spinoffs like The Steam Room and The Big Podcast under the TNT umbrella along with guest hosts. There’s also the NBA on TNT Tuesday broadcasts with new additions, Jamal Crawford and Candace Parker. TNT has adapted to the changing landscape of NBA broadcasts before, but this could mean different.
A new kind of Inside the NBA might come
Front Office Sorts reports that TNT is favored for the B package. The incumbents have a clause to match NBC and reports indicate WBD does have the means to do it. Turner is, of course, in the less desirable position of having to up its offer from the current $1.2 billion annual fees to the league for the less desirable package than what they currently have. What could the B (or C) package entail for Inside the NBA?
It’s not clear, but maybe no more Chuck calling All-Star Games or maybe someone at NBC replaces Kenny in the March Madness coverage. The 2024 All-Star Weekend was a fan-driven experience by TNT, with Shaq switching between analyst to head-banging DJ Diesel and rapper. Meanwhile, Chuck was running play-by-play with Draymond Green and sometimes arguing with him. These might not be the norm, or perhaps it will be more prominent in conference finals.
For now, Chuck can stop sending out resumes as he ‘jokes.’ Inside the NBA might just be the Michael Myers of NBA media – coming back on schedule even when you think it’s gone.
