ESPN President of Content Burke Magnus shared new details this week about how the network intends to showcase Inside the NBA after securing the iconic studio show from TNT.
Speaking with The Athletic, Magnus said ESPN plans to use the program in its traditional roles during pregame, halftime, and postgame windows. The longtime studio staple, anchored by Ernie Johnson alongside Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, and Shaquille O’Neal, has been a defining piece of NBA coverage for decades.
ESPN now faces the challenge of integrating the show into its broadcast schedule while preserving its familiar cadence.
“It will be as close to that as we can possibly get,” Magnus said. He emphasized that the goal is for the program’s postgame presence to mirror the longevity it enjoyed at TNT. Where discussions often stretched late into the night and shaped the league’s media narrative.
Still, the transition will not be seamless. Magnus explained that the early portion of the NBA calendar is “backloaded” on ESPN’s schedule. Meaning the show will take a brief hiatus before re-emerging in December. Viewers can expect to see Inside the NBA as part of the network’s coverage on Christmas Day. Historically one of the league’s marquee events.
The playoff picture is where ESPN expects the program to shine most consistently. Magnus confirmed the entire crew will be featured across all of ESPN’s postseason broadcasts. “They will be on the air for all of ESPN’s playoff nights,” he said, underscoring the company’s commitment to giving the group a prominent platform when the league’s biggest games are played.
What will look different, Magnus noted, is the rhythm dictated by scheduling. Turner’s NBA rights package placed Inside the NBA in regular weekly slots, giving viewers predictability. ESPN’s deal is structured differently. Creating a schedule that requires more flexibility and less uniformity in how the studio show will appear.
That variability will be a new experience for fans accustomed to TNT’s routine. However, Magnus stressed that ESPN is working to make the transition as smooth as possible. 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.
Full details of how ESPN will use Inside the NBA are likely to emerge over the next three weeks, according to Magnus.
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