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In July, the NBA agreed to a new 11-year media rights deal with Disney, NBC, and Amazon that will last through the 2035-36 season. The only problem is that Warner Bros Discovery, the parent company of TNT Sports, was left out of this deal, meaning that the legendary Inside the NBA show would be no more.
This beloved program with Ernie Johnson, Kenny “The Jet” Smith, Shaquille O'Neal, and Charles Barkley has long been the best sports show on television. Between their analysis of the game and antics in between segments, this show has long been a staple of the NBA.
Due to WBD not being included in this new media deal, they filed a lawsuit against the league. As the league continues to push forward with their new media deal, commissioner Adam Silver and the NBA still want to settle with Warner Bros Discovery. The two sides have engaged in settlement talks, which would promptly end the lawsuit that was filed over the summer, according to Front Office Sports.
The interesting caveat to this possible settlement is that it may not be strictly financial, as most settlements are. There appears to be an option in play that would allow TNT to have a smaller but face-saving fourth media rights package that would essentially allow Inside the NBA to continue, as FOS alluded to. For NBA fans around the world, this would be a major win for everyone involved.
Although the NBA didn't include WBD in their new $76 billion media rights agreement, saving Inside the NBA and having the show still air in conjunction with weekly action around the league is still a possibility.
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Since 1989, TNT has broadcast NBA games and has hosted various events, such as NBA All-Star Weekend and playoff games, including the Eastern and Western Conference Finals. As a result of their long partnership with the league and being left out of the new media rights deal, WBD filed a breach-of-contract lawsuit against the NBA in July, accusing them of being “unjustified” with their actions of not letting them match a third-party offer from the new companies taking over.
The NBA has maintained the position that Warner's attempt to match Amazon's offer was simply a counteroffer, allowing the league to freely choose which deal they wanted to pursue instead of upholding TNT Sports' right to match.
A motions hearing is currently scheduled for Nov. 22, in which the Supreme Court of the State of New York will hear arguments pertaining to whether information in this case will be kept under seal, according to FOS. Another hearing for the NBA's motion to dismiss the case would take place on Dec. 17 in New York.
The future of the NBA on TNT continues to look very bleak, but Inside the NBA is not dead yet. Ernie, Kenny, Shaq, and Chuck may wind up finding a second life as Warner Bros Discovery and the NBA discuss a possible settlement to save the iconic show.
