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After months of legal disputes, Inside the NBA fans were relieved to hear that their favorites—Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley, Ernie Johnson, and Kenny Smith—would return next year. However, it appears that the celebration might have been premature.
Starting with the 2025–26 season, Inside the NBA will transition to airing on ESPN, though it will remain a TNT property. This change follows TNT's decision to no longer broadcast NBA games after the current season.
Shaquille O'Neal's current contract
According to Sports Illustrated sources, the Lakers legend differs significantly from his Inside the NBA colleagues. While the others might participate in additional broadcasts, such as NCAA tournament coverage, Shaquille O’Neal’s contract is exclusively tied to NBA programming and is set to expire soon.
O’Neal’s contract with Warner Bros. Discovery is set to expire on July 1, 2025, giving it about eight months remaining, according to Sports Illustrated sources. Despite expressing his desire to continue as part of Inside the NBA, O’Neal reportedly feels confused about the lack of clarity surrounding his contract status, especially with promotions for the next season already in motion.
Reports indicate that in 2022, O’Neal signed a 10-year agreement alongside his Inside the NBA co-hosts. However, it’s said that O’Neal’s deal includes an opt-out clause. His current salary for the show is approximately $10 million annually, supplementing the $292 million he earned in NBA career salaries and $200 million from endorsements.
Shaq could stay on with the show while negotiating additional agreements with networks like Amazon or NBC, which will become NBA broadcast partners next season. Alternatively, he could secure a deal directly with ESPN alongside Warner Bros. Discovery.
The Big Diesel even described the legal battle over Inside the NBA as a “travesty” if the outcome didn’t favor the show’s continuation. Meanwhile, it remains to be seen what official roles Charles Barkley will take on following the recent developments surrounding Inside the NBA.
TNT's openness to explore other sports beyond the NBA
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Turner Sports CEO Luis Silberwasser emphasized the network’s openness to exploring new programming opportunities beyond the NBA. With rights secured for the French Open for a decade and select college football games sublicensed from ESPN, Turner has options to expand its sports coverage.
Given Charles Barkley's longstanding association with Inside the NBA, his potential involvement with other networks or projects while continuing with TNT seems feasible.
If O’Neal decides to exercise his opt-out clause, it could significantly alter the dynamics of Inside the NBA. The possibility of the entire crew leaving TNT collectively would send a powerful statement, potentially reshaping the future of the iconic show and its longstanding partnership with the network. Such a move could influence negotiations and the direction of sports broadcasting for years to come.
New contracts for the NBA
Earlier this year, the NBA and ESPN finalized a restructured TV deal, marking a significant shift in broadcasting partnerships. The agreement introduced NBC and Amazon Prime Video as new rights-holders, all part of an 11-year contract valued at $77 billion.
NBC's last NBA contract expired in 2002, after which the league partnered with ESPN and TNT. The Walt Disney Company will continue broadcasting the NBA, airing 80 regular-season games on ESPN and ABC, along with around 18 playoff games, and will retain the rights to the NBA Finals.
NBC will air up to 100 NBA games per season across its channels and the Peacock streaming service. It will also host All-Star weekend, 28 playoff series, and share duties for the Conference Finals with Amazon Prime Video.
Meanwhile, Prime Video will broadcast 66 regular-season NBA games and cover the later stages of the NBA Cup and the Play-In Tournament.
