It’s looking increasingly likely that sports fans will see the end of Inside the NBA next summer amid the 2025 TV schedule. That’s because, as of right now, the chances of its network, TNT, re-securing the broadcast rights to the league seem quite slim. Some pundits have theorized potential solutions that would help the show continue. A recent suggestion involved the show being sold to an entity that has the professional basketball rights. That idea was posed to Inside co-host Charles Barkley, who thinks it won’t happen for a key reason.
Charles Barkley has discussed Inside’s cancellation on numerous occasions, voicing his discontent with the situation. The Round Mound of Rebound has appeared on a number of podcasts and chat shows as of late, with one of the latest being The Bill Simmons Podcast. While speaking with Barkley, the eponymous host opined that a viable solution would be to move the “infrastructure” (or production) that’s been established at TNT to another network that carries the NBA. Barkley, however, expressed doubt due to one factor – or more specifically, one person:
Well, number one, I don’t think Ernie would go. I don’t think Ernie would go. Ernie wouldn’t leave Atlanta ever.
Veteran sports journalist Ernie Johnson has been with TNT for decades now and began hosting Inside the NBA back in 1990, after the show debuted in 1989. Since the show is filmed in an Atlanta-based studio, it’s fair to say that the ATL has been Johnson’s home for some time now. With that, he may not be so keen on uprooting himself and his loved ones if the production were miraculously moved to another network based in another part of the country. Still, I can’t help but wonder whether Johnson could be convinced if that happened.
Of course, there’s far more blocking a potential move from Inside aside from Ernie Johnson’s theoretical reluctance to relocate. At the very least, an agreement of sorts would need to be made to shift the TNT-produced operation to another entity. There would surely be other red-tape details that would need to be sorted out as well. On the whole, Bill Simmons’ suggestion definitely isn’t impossible, but the odds of it happening seem slim at the moment.
As for Charles Barkley, he’s set to remain with TNT after walking back the retirement plans he shared earlier this year. The former NBA MVP signed a new deal in an attempt to keep his colleagues’ jobs afloat, and he even revealed that he left $100 million on the table by doing so. During an interview earlier this summer, Barkley said the situation “sucks” and expressed concern about those who’d be affected.
There’s still reason to feel somewhat uneasy about what might lie ahead for Inside the NBA despite Sir Charles’ new deal. Something massive would have to happen for the tides to turn in this particular situation. Whether that arrives in the form of a move to a new network, that remains to be seen.
You can still, however, look forward to seeing Inside the NBA return to TNT this fall for what’s sure to be a wild send-off season. Keep it on your watchlist sports fans, as you take in all of the other TV options that are set to hit the small screen in the coming weeks.
