One of the biggest news around the NBA over the past couple of weeks is that TNT’s award-winning show, “Inside the NBA” could be canceled as early as next season. No one is more disappointed by the recent development than Charles Barkley, who expressed his anger toward the network in his most recent appearance on 'The Dan Patrick Show.'
“Morale sucks plain and simple. I just feel so bad for the people I work with Dan. You know, these people have families and I just really feel bad for them right now. These people I work with [TNT], they screwed this thing up clearly, and we don’t have zero idea what’s going to happen. I don’t feel good. I'm not going to lie, especially when it came out yesterday and said they bought college football, I was like, damn, they could’ve used that money to buy the NBA,” Barkley said .
What’s going on with TNT?
If you’ve been following the NBA’s off-court matters this season, you’d know that they’ve been negotiating their TV rights deal with multiple networks. Just recently, it was reported that Adam Silver and the league are close to formalizing an agreement with Disney/ESPN, Amazon, and NBC. The fact that Warner Bros, which carries the TNT network, isn’t in the mix means that their partnership with the NBA could end as early as after this season.
Barkley is well aware that Warner Bros hasn’t made a deal with the NBA, which is why “Inside the NBA” could be canceled and why he’s extremely disappointed about it. The fact that TNT Sports ended up acquiring the rights from ESPN to broadcast early-round college football games instead of doing everything it could to continue its partnership with the Association goes to show that they’re not fighting to keep the Emmy award-winning show “Inside the NBA’ going.
“That’s the first thing that came to my mind. We’ve never had college football, never been involved with college football, and I’m like, wait a minute, shouldn’t we spend every dime we got to keep the NBA? So morale sucks, to be honest with you, Dan,” Barkley reiterated.
“My two favorite wines are Engel Nook and Opus, and these clowns I work for have turned us into Ripp and boom for Thunderbird. It’s just so funny we won the best studio show, but these fools turned us from Engel Nook and Spas into damn farm and ripple. It’s crazy. I am [angry],” Charles stated.
Barkley wants to keep “Inside the NBA going”
The Chuckster also added that there’s a chance that his production company, Fine Line Productions, will take the opportunity to pick up “Inside the NBA” if TNT’s partnership with the NBA doesn’t continue. Apparently, the idea was suggested to “Sir Charles” by people on the Internet, and it’s something that he’s now considering.
“I’ve talked to the guys about everybody signing with my production company because I have my own production company, and I would love to do that if we lose it. Actually, somebody suggested that to me, to be honest with you, on the internet. Why don’t Charles Barkley sign these three guys, four guys total, it’s his production company, and sell it? I’m like, that’s a great idea. But like I said, we’re just sitting back, waiting on these people to figure out what they’re going to do,” Barkley said.
Unfortunately, the status of “Inside the NBA” — which seems to be the consensus favorite show of NBA fans — is currently in jeopardy. But that’s how business works, especially in the entertainment industry. Only time will tell if the iconic show lives on, but right now, what’s certain is that the agony isn’t benefiting anyone.
Related: "I wanted to cover my a** when it comes to this situation" - Charles Barkley reveals his opt-out clause from TNT amid NBA media rights deal limbo
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