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Although Warner Bros. Discovery will not have U.S. broadcast rights for live National Basketball Association games starting next season, the company is continuing its partnership with the league that dates back approximately three decades. The two entities came to a settlement last week after Warner Bros. Discovery filed a lawsuit against the league pertaining to a breach of contract. Aspects of the settlement include the ability to use league content on Bleacher Report and House of Highlights, overseas distribution rights and a reimagined NBA Digital partnership for the next five years.
In a subsequent move, the Emmy award-winning studio show, Inside the NBA, will be presented on ESPN networks and air in concert with key live events. Charles Barkley, Ernie Johnson, Kenny “The Jet” Smith and Shaquille O’Neal will purportedly continue their work from the Atlanta-based studios, and the show will maintain its production under the TNT Sports umbrella. The company is also in the midst of creating an Inside sports show that would discuss topics beyond the NBA. O’Neal’s contract with Warner Bros. Discovery reportedly expires on July 1, 2025, meaning that he would need to agree to a new deal ahead of next season.
Kenny “The Jet” Smith, who has been a member of the program since 1998, was recently at Toyota Center as the Houston Rockets celebrated the 30-year anniversary of their back-to-back championships. Smith, who was a point guard on both of these teams, played six seasons with the Rockets and averaged 12.6 points per game on 5.3 assists. In an interview with Space City Home Network sideline reporter Vanessa Richardson, Smith was asked about the future of Inside the NBA amid the agreement between TNT Sports and ESPN.
“Well, it’s sticking around. It’s always going to be around,” Smith said. “You know, there’s some things that need to be tied up, but we’re excited about what the future holds for all of us, and it’s going to be a lot of fun talking basketball for years to come.”
ESPN will air Inside the NBA surrounding pregame, halftime and postgame coverage during its coverage of the NBA Finals airing on ABC starting next season. Furthermore, the company will present the show during the conference finals, NBA Playoffs and on all ESPN on ABC NBA games after January 1. The show will take the air during Opening Week, Christmas Day and in the final week of the NBA season. During a recent appearance on the SI Media podcast, ESPN president of content Burke Magnus spoke about the approach the network will take in presenting the program starting next season.
“Of course we’re not going to change the show,” Magnus said. “Why would we take something that’s so successful and so iconic, bring it over and then be like, ‘Hey, we know better, we’re going to change it’?”
Last season, ESPN and TNT Sports included talent from their signature NBA studio programs on segments within shows at the other network. For example, NBA Countdown analyst Stephen A. Smith participated in an edition of “Who He Play For?” on Inside the NBA. Both shows broadcast live from the Toshiba Plaza outside of T-Mobile Arena as teams competed to hoist the NBA Cup as champions of the league’s first In-Season Tournament.
