Inside The NBA's Initial ESPN Schedule Is Out, And I Won't Be The Only Fan Disappointed By Some Major Changes

Inside the NBA’s move to ESPN has been a major topic of discussion, in great part because of some creative aspects of the show. Since TNT brokered the historic deal to license the sports talk show out to Disney, many have wondered what kind of changes might be made to the program. Well, now, fans have a sense of that, considering that Inside’s fall schedule for the upcoming season has arrived. And, based on what’s been revealed, I’d wager that I’m probably not the only fan who’s feeling a level of disappointment.

ESPN Is Establishing A Couple Changes To Inside The NBA During The Early Part Of Its Run

According to a new update, Inside’s new season is set to premiere after ESPN’s first NBA doubleheader of the season on October 22 amid the 2025 TV schedule. There’s a catch, however, as the show’s runtime will be shorter than fans are accustomed to. Sports Media Watch reports that the former TNT show will only air in a half-hour timeslot as opposed to having a 50-minute run as it typically would. ESPN specifically has the program set to air from 12:05 to 12:35 a.m. ET, and it’ll be directly followed by SportsCenter.

There’s another interesting wrinkle to this as well. Inside the NBA isn’t currently slotted to air on October 23, after its network’s second doubleheader of the season. However, the TNT-birthed NBA Tip-Off will precede both doubleheaders.

Additionally, Sports Media Watch notes that Inside doesn’t appear to have another set broadcast until the Christmas Day games. So viewers would theoretically be without the show for over two months. To be fair, Inside’s shortened runtime could just be a placeholder and change at some point in the future. Regardless, though, the notion of less airtime for hosts Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Shaquille O’Neal along with a significant hiatus isn’t sitting all that well with me.

What Have Media Personalities And Corporate Execs Said About Inside The NBA’s Move To ESPN?

For some time now, Charles Barkley has shared his honest thoughts on his Emmy-winning NBA show moving to a new corporate entity. He acknowledged the House of Mouse’s network as a leader in sports media, but he was also unsure as to whether the show would stay the same aesthetically. Ironically, Barkley just recently expressed concern as to whether he and his cohorts would have enough time on the air. On top of that, Sir Charles had also been awaiting specific information on his new work schedule.

Another media maven who has commented on this new chapter for Inside the NBA is sports journalist Bill Simmons. Earlier this year, Simmons didn’t mince words when saying that the talk show’s new network would damage it. Simmons’ logic was based on the fact that unlike TNT, ESPN’s programming is very commercial heavy, and it could cut into Inside’s dialogue-driven approach, which includes wild antics here and there.

Earlier this year, ESPN Inc. President Jimmy Pitaro addressed the prospect of changes being made to Inside the NBA. It was at that time that Pitaro said he didn’t expect major alterations to be made, and he emphasized that the four co-hosts would return. However, it’s hard to feel optimistic, given the new details of the fall schedule. There’s surely a chance that Inside won’t be changed for good. At the moment, as Charles Barkley would say, this just feels “turrible."