With the signing of new NBA TV deals, it certainly appears as if TNT’s Inside the NBA is on its last legs. Dan Patrick believes it’s one of the few sports media shows that has power to move the needle.
After talking about the likelihood of the program ending with longtime panelist Charles Barkley on The Dan Patrick Show Friday, the host noted that many sports television entities are attempting to replicate shows that were so unique they couldn’t actually be duplicated.
“ESPN still trying to recreate SportsCenter. That ain’t gonna happen. It’s done. Pardon the Interruption won’t be the same. Around the Horn, they’re gonna get rid of. TNT and Inside the NBA. I mean, these shows have a shelf life,” said Patrick. “And we got one more year with those guys.”
He later added his belief that there are very few sports media members and shows that move the needle enough that average viewers will tune in because of the personalities involved.
“There’s only one Charles and there’s only one Shaq. Out of any of these analysts, any of these personalities, there’s only a few of these people who move the needle. Now McAfee moves the needle. Steven A. (Smith) moves the needle. Dick Vitale, in his prime, moved the needle. Chris Berman moved the needle,” Patrick continued. “There’s only a few of them where you go ‘I’m tuning in for that person. Doesn’t matter what game they’re doing.’ And we tuned into TNT not for the game. I tuned in for the pregame or halftime.”
Patrick also said he’s often viewed as a critic of ESPN — his longtime home. He said that isn’t the case, but he does tell analysts or hosts interested in joining the network the difficulties involved with working at the Worldwide Leader, including the long hours and the expectations from the company that if they’re giving you a great salary, you’ll appear on a variety of platforms in a variety of timeslots in exchange for that compensation.
