Months After Charles Barkley Questioned Inside The NBA’s Future On ESPN, The Network’s President Weighed In

For much of 2024, Inside the NBA’s future seemed to be in jeopardy, as TNT’s long-running sports talk show was at risk of being cancelled. That was due to parent company Warner Bros. Discovery was unable to renew its broadcast rights to the pro basketball league. However, a historic deal was later struck between TNT Sports and ESPN, which will air the show, starting this fall. Charles Barkley and others have still questioned the series’ position on the Disney-owned sports network and, now, its president is speaking out.

News of Inside the NBA being saved was warmly welcomed by the fans but, internally, there have been some variables to consider. Much of that involves exactly how the series’ four co-hosts – Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley – will be utilized. There was even a question as to whether the hosting lineup may be shuffled around due to the show being on a new network. While addressing Front Office Sports and more at a press briefing, ESPN Inc. President Jimmy Pitaro apparently soothed concerns:

That prospect is sure to come as a comfort to those who want to see all four hosts remain on the show. Over the last several months, reports indicated that deals were being finalized in order to ensure that the talent was signed on for a while. In February, Shaq notably signed a major deal worth $15 million per year, which would ensure that he remains with TNT Sports for the long haul. When it comes to his fellow hall of famer and occasional verbal sparring partner, Charles Barkley, the situation has been a bit more complex.

A lot can change in the course of a year as, around this time in 2024, Charles Barkley announced that he would retire from sports broadcasting at the end of the 2024-2025 NBA season regardless of Inside’s fate. However, “The Round Mound of Rebound” walked back his retirement decision in August of that same year, later explaining that he was doing so to save jobs. Simultaneously, Barkley was critical of his employers for supposedly dropping the ball (no pun intended) when it came to renewing its NBA broadcast rights.

Since the show was saved, “Sir Charles” has been singing a somewhat different tune, even making jokes about having to go back to “kissing ass.” Nevertheless, Barkley suggested in September 2024 that his future wasn’t set in stone, even though he aimed to return to the broadcasting desk. The biggest point of contention in that case was that, at the time, he’d yet to receive a schedule from ESPN, and he declared that he had no intention of working more strenuously than he had at TNT.

ESPN and TNT Sports’ deal, which was announced in November 2024, allows the latter entity to licence out Inside the NBA to the former. As part of the agreement, the fan-favorite show will continue to be produced independently from its studios in Atlanta. Per the original press release, Inside’s four hosts will also be involved with pregame, halftime and postgame coverage along with NBA Finals and Christmas day coverage among other events.

So, based on Jimmy Pitaro’s comments, the plan is indeed for Charles Barkley and co. to stay together. However, even though Barkley is signed on, his own sentiments suggest that to keep him happy, he’ll need a schedule that’s iron-clad. The current NBA season has yet to end, so it’s possible that some of those details will be ironed out during the offseason, if not sooner.