The long-running sports commentary show, Inside the NBA, will begin airing on ESPN and ABC starting next season.
UPDATE – 11/18/2024:
- Disney officially confirmed the deal bringing Inside the NBA into the ESPN and ABC fold, confirming that the legendary studio team will appear on the networks surrounding high-profile live events, such as:
- ESPN’s pregame, halftime and postgame coverage of the NBA Finals on ABC
- Conference Finals
- NBA Playoffs
- All ABC games after January 1st
- Christmas Day
- Opening week
- The final week of the season
- and other marquee live events
- New quotes from ESPN and TNT executives can be found below.
Previously – 11/17/2024:
- ESPN reports that following a settlement between Warner Bros. Discovery and the NBA, the long-running series Inside the NBA will appear on ESPN and ABC beginning next season.
- Warner Bros. Discovery, the parent company of TNT Sports (which airs Inside the NBA), sued the NBA in New York state court after the league did not accept the company's matching offer for one of the packages in its new 11-year media rights deal, which will begin with the 2025-26 season.
- While Inside the NBA will air on ESPN and ABC beginning with the 2025-26 season, it will continue to be produced by TNT Sports, airing from Atlanta.
- Remaining with the show are its four popular hosts – Ernie Johnson Jr., Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Shaquille O'Neal.
- Inside the NBA is expected to air during key moments on the league's calendar: opening night, Christmas Day, the playoffs and the NBA Finals. It is also likely it will be on during Saturday nights in the second half of the season, when ABC has a prime-time package of games.
- The settlement gives TNT Sports, Bleacher Report and House of Highlights a global content license for NBA content with no rights fee for the next 11 years.
What They’re Saying:
- Jimmy Pitaro, Chairman, ESPN: “Inside the NBA is universally recognized as one of the best and most culturally impactful shows in sports. We have long-admired the immensely talented team and are thrilled to add their chemistry and knowledge to our robust set of NBA studio offerings to super-serve NBA fans like never before. The addition of Inside the NBA further solidifies ESPN as the preeminent destination for sports fans.”
- Luis Silberwasser, CEO & Chairman, TNT Sports: “At TNT Sports, we take great pride in our Inside the NBA show and know its success is both a reflection of the iconic talent on set and the incredible people behind the scenes who consistently demonstrate the creativity and craft of our great team. We are thrilled to continue to produce Inside the NBA for ESPN and ABC, ensuring fans are able to keep enjoying the magic of this show during the NBA season.”
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