As the National Basketball Association prepares to commence 11-year media rights deals with The Walt Disney Company, Comcast Corporation and Amazon under commissioner Adam Silver reportedly worth a collective $77 billion over the term, basketball fans will be able to access games through broadcast, cable and streaming television platforms. Yet one aspect of the current presentation that will remain is the award-winning Inside the NBA studio show featuring Ernie Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny “The Jet” Smith and Charles Barkley. The program will be airing on Disney platforms (ESPN/ABC) throughout the season under a sublicensing agreement with ESPN through which TNT Sports will continue to produce the show.
Silver has traveled to Atlanta, Ga. and visited the TNT Sports studio in the past from where the show emanates. In an interview with Silver on Wednesday morning, Dan Patrick acknowledged that there are instances when Barkley is on the airwaves and not aware who is playing in a game that he is watching. While he admitted that it could be funny to them, he wanted to hear Silver’s perspective on how that settles with him as the commissioner of the Association. In his response, he contended that such a characterization “may be a little extreme” and voiced that he is watching the games.
“They made a decision to take an entertainment route with that studio show,” Silver said. “I think ESPN was always about more hardcore basketball, maybe NBC was somewhere in the middle in the old days, but it’s an entertainment show and he’s entertaining, and fans seem to love it.”
Silver conveyed that Barkley can resemble a crazy uncle at times when he is giving criticism, but he articulated a difference through the manner in which he delivers such commentary. When he is criticizing aspects of the game or the league, it comes off as the “uncle at the Thanksgiving table” and comes from a place of love. Silver does not feel the same way about some of the other commentators around the league, but he understands that Barkley has discovered a lane and does it well.
“It’ll be interesting to see how that converts,” Silver said. “As you know, they’re now bringing that studio show to ESPN and ABC next year. I think we’ll see how that works out. I love the fact that those guys are still going to be involved in our telecasts, but I’m not sure whether it will be produced differently for them or there will be a different expectation from ESPN and ABC fans or watchers than maybe what people are seeing late at night on TNT.”
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